Oswego Could Be Central Hub for Proposed Lake Ontario Marine Sanctuary
OSWEGO COUNTY
BUSINESS $4.50
August / September 2016
OswegoCountyBusiness.com
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Questions to the New NYS Fair Director
On the Global Map An event created by a SUNY Oswego chemistry professor brings students from more than 60 countries to Oswego
Newspapers Dying? Buffett, Bezos and other high-powered businessmen are snatching up newspapers everywhere. Do they know something we don’t?
Restaurant Review
August / September 2016
Writer: Oswego’s Bistro 197 offers some of the best fine dining and cocktails in all of Central New York
$4.50
CNY’s Hotel Construction Boom A New Holiday Inn Express just opened in Oswego. At least 10 other hotels in Syracuse are being built or just became operational. Understanding the reasons for this boom
Superior stroke care. It’s about time.
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eceiving the area’s fastest stroke diagnosis and treatment starts even before you arrive at Crouse Hospital. That’s because our EMS
partners start communicating with our team the moment they arrive on the scene. Once here, our stroke specialists immediately assess your condition. And if more advanced care is needed, our boardcertified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeons use the most progressive stroke-rescue therapies and technology available. When it’s about time, say “Take me to Crouse.”
crouse.org/stroke
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Issue 145
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
PROFILE GARY TOTH He is semi-retired or at least he says so. In addition to his volunteer work in organizations ranging from environment to education, this union leader now is helping the fight to prevent nuclear power plant from closing.............12
SPECIAL FEATURES
COVER STORY
Holiday Inn Express & Suites adds to hospitality sector. Region sees boom of hotel construction
Tourism Industry
Page 46
• When it comes to growth, Syracuse ranked second of all Upstate New York cities • Seven questions to the New York State Fair director • Oswego could be central hub for proposed marine sanctuary • A roaring success: Central Square Apple Festival • Sandra Scott: Where are the tourists? • David Granoff to launch regional website
Healthcare
Page 56
• Oswego Health: Going alone, sort of • Meet Renato Mandanas, chief medical officer at Oswego • DWI arrests at all-time low • Is CNY a good place for seniors? Page 72 4
What Are Your primary source of news? We posed that question to nine people in the area .......................................................... 9 Where in the World is Sandra Scott Mexico resident talks about Amsterdam, Netherlands, and its surroundings ...................... 16 Putting Oswego on the Map Event by SUNY Oswego professor brings students from around the globe to Oswego ........... 19 Why Davidson Ford Moved The successor of Fred Raynor Ford in Fulton just moved to Clay. Find out why ........................................ 36 The Business of the Arts Oswego native, SUNY Oswego grad capitalizes on his artistic touch in Syracuse........................................... 40 A Newcomers’s View The Carr family is revved up over new environs in Oswego Town, talks about region...................................... 42
SUCCESS STORY The Ouellettes started Ontario Orchards Fall Jamboree in Sterling 15 years ago this year, making this event a destination for thousands every year.......84
DEPARTMENTS On the Job What is your source for news?....................9 How I Got Started Vincent G. Lobdell, Healthway........... 10 Newsmakers, Business Updates.......................... 20 Dining Out Bistro 197, Oswego. .......................... 28 My Turn Newspapers are dying, correct? Thin again.......... 31 Economic Trends OOC honors organizations, businesspeople .44 Last Page Nick Canale, Canale’s Restaurant ................ 90 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Geneva
On The Lake
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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1000 Duty Free......................27 1000 Island Campground.......53 Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home.................... 11 Amdursky, Pelky, Fennell & Wallen.................................9 Amerigas................................22 Ameriprise Financial (Randy Zeigler).................32 Arise.......................................75 Barry Grose Fine Art..............26 Beacon Hotel / All Season Inn...................64 Bear’s Sleep Hollow Campground.........27 Berkshire Hathaway ..............53 Blue Moon Grill.....................30 Brewerton Pharmacy..............75 Bugow’s Driver Rehab.............9 Burke’s Home Center.............25 C & S Companies..................91 Canale Insurance.................... 11 Canale’s Italian Cuisine.........30 Cancer Services Program.......73 Caster’s Sawmill Inc................9 Central Square Apple Festival.................53 Century 21 Galloway Realty..............24 Century 21 Leah Signature....24 Chase Enterprises...................64 Child Care Development Council............................75
Advertisers Community Bank...................43 Compass Credit Union...........14 Computer Accounting......22, 24 Crouse Hospital........................2 Deaton’s ACE Building & Home center......................71 Deaton’s Agway.....................71 DeMarco & Sons....................48 Disciplined Management Capital.................................7 Eis House...............................30 Fastrac Markets........................6 Fitzgibbons Agency...............43 Foster Funeral Home..............74 Fulton Community Development Agency........69 Fulton North Bay Campground......................26 Fulton Savings Bank..............15 Gannon Pest Control .............25 Geneva On the Lake ................5 Glider Oil.................................6 Harbor Towne Gifts...............26 Haun Welding Supply, Inc.....25 Hillside Commons.................34 History Collaborative.............26 Holiday Inn Express...............53 J P Jewelers............................26 Joe Bush Collision.................21
Johnston Gas..........................23 Key Bank...............................32 Lakeshore Hardwoods...........26 Lakeside Artisans...................27 Lawn King.............................21 MetLife Ins. Co........................8 Mid-Lakes Navigation...........27 Mimi’s Drive Inn....................30 Mr. Sub...................................30 Nelson Law Firm...................34 Northern Ace..........................23 Ontario Orchards......................3 Operation Oswego County.......2 Oswego County Federal Credit Union...........8 Oswego County Monuments........................23 Oswego County Mutual Insurance................8 Oswego County Opportunities.....................73 Oswego County Stop DWI.... 11 Oswego Health ......................83 Oswego Valley Insurance.......34 Otis Elevators.........................50 Over the Top Roofing.............23 Par-K Enterprises, Inc............14 Parker’s Excavating...............25 Parker’s Service.....................22
Parsons-McKenna Construction......................49 Pathfinder Bank......................62 Peter Realty – Simeon DeWitt..................74 Phoenix Press.........................69 Port City Copy Center............21 Priceless Realty......................69 Pro-Build................................25 Public Health Nursing............75 Pulaski Farmer’s Market........27 Riccelli Northern....................91 River Edge Mansion..............27 RiverHouse Restaurant..........30 Rudy’s....................................30 Scriba Electric........................23 Servpro of Oswego County....25 Storage 48..............................23 SUNY Oswego, Office of Business and Community Development.....................91 Tailwater Lodge.......................7 Tully Hill Chemical Dependency Treatment Ctr.....................................75 Uniforms Etc..........................23 Valley Locksmith...................21 Vernon Downs........................15 VisitOswegoNY.com................5 Volney Multiplex...................23 White’s Lumber & Building Supply...............23 WRVO....................................92
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Oswego County Mutual Insurance Company 2975 West Main Street Parish, NY 13131
Policyholder Owned Since 1878 Please call for our agent nearest you
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COVERING CENTRAL NEW YORK OswegoCountyBusiness.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto
Associate Editor Lou Sorendo
Columnists
L. Michael Treadwell Bruce Frassinelli Sandra Scott, Jacob Pucci
Writers & Contributing Writers
Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Matthew Liptak, Nicole Shue Carol Thompson, Jamieson Persee Aaron Gifford, John Shambo
Advertising
Peggy Kain Shelley Manley
Office Assistant Michelle Kingsley
Layout and Design Eric Stevens
Cover Photo
Charles Wainwright Oswego County Business is published by Local News, Inc., which also publishes CNY Summer Guide, Business Guide, CNY Winter Guide, College Life, In Good Health– The Healthcare Newspaper (four editions), CNY Healthcare Guide and 55PLUS, a Magazine for Active Adults (two editions) Published bi-monthly (6 issues a year) at 185 E. Seneca Street PO Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126. Subscription: $21.50 a year; $35 for two years © 2016 by Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. Third class postage paid at Syracuse, NY. Permit Number: 244
How to Reach Us
P.O. Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: 315/342-8020 Fax: 315-342-7776 Email: Editor@OswegoCountyBusiness.com
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ON THE JOB
“What are your primary sources of news and why?”
“My primary source of news is Fox News, Syracuse.com and Oswegocountytoday.com, mostly due to the fact of convenience. I have the apps on my phone and it makes it extremely easy to catch up in the small amount of time I have every day. With that said, I do still enjoy printed- paper articles when the time allows. There is nothing better than reading articles on printed paper while enjoying a cup of coffee.” Chasity Browngardt Northern Ace Homecenter, Fulton “Because of my travel schedule, my source of news is the Internet. Actually my iPhone! I view CNN, Syracuse.com, MSN, CNET, and ABC news apps.” Don Teich SAM North America, Phoenix “My primary source of news is The Palladium-Times. I prefer sitting down in the morning to read our paper over trying to search other avenues to find out what is going on in our city. The Palladium-Times works very hard to make sure they are covering all the events that are taking place in our very busy community. They do a great job and I will always support them.” Danielle D. Hayden Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Oswego “I don’t have a single primary news source. I stay up to date with local news and worldwide current events through multiple sources. Each source has its own opinion, so if I gather information from multiple sources, I have a better idea of what’s going on without bias.” Megan Pecora Port City Copy Center, Oswego “Social media drives most of the news I read. I try to follow informed and interesting people on Twitter and Facebook who serve as the filters and gatekeepers in terms of what might be worth reading. It sounds strange, but it’s become a pretty fine-tuned system. I also do read all the local media outAUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
lets — it’s part of my job — and things like fivethirtyeight.com for data-based political and news analysis. So I don’t have one go-to source as much as I read what I encounter that appears interesting or compelling.” Tim Nekritz SUNY Oswego, Oswego “I get my news from Internet sources. My phone is always with me, so I can look for updates whenever and wherever I am. I also can compare reports from multiple sources, if I question anything.” Barbara Syrell Retired, Oswego “NPR is my choice of news. Public radio does not represent any one person’s viewpoint. It offers unbiased reporting on a wide range of topics including international news, business reporting and human interest stories.”
Bugow’s Driver Rehab dan@bugows.com
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Tom O’Toole Compass Federal Credit Union, Oswego “For world and national news, I typically turn to The Wall Street Journal. The editorial pages are often a good read. Locally, I enjoy Oswego County Business magazine. It keeps me up to date with what’s going on in the area.” Barry Grose Barry Grose Fine Arts, Syracuse “I use The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly, all accessed through Facebook. I have them set up to be at the top of my news feed. It’s very convenient and current. Sad to say “the paper” just doesn’t do it for me. I listen to NPR through my iPhone and Bluetooth speaker while I’m getting ready for work in the morning. Facebook allows easy access to all major news sources; at least the ones I want to see; and yes, a few that I don’t.” Joe Cortini Cortini Shoe Zipper Canvas Repair, Fulton OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
26 East Oneida Street Oswego, NY 13126
P: 315.343.6363 F: 315.343.0134
www.apfwlaw.com Timothy J. Fennell Joseph E. Wallen Gregory R. Gilbert
John D. Conners Courtney S. Radick Amy Chadwick
Paul L. Pelky of Counsel
Personal Injury • Wrongful Death Social Security Disability Workers Compensation Divorce/Family Law DWI/Traffic/Criminal Wills and Estates • Real Estate
“We’ve Got You Covered!” 9
How I Got
Started
Vincent G. Lobdell
Vincent Lobdell is the founder, chairman and CEO of HealthWay in Pulaski, a global leader in the manufacturing of air cleaners for commercial, residential and industrial use.
Q.: What kind of capital did you need to start HealthWay in 2004? How did you finance the operation initially? A.: I formed the MCS Group Inc. in 1998 to design and manufacture portable air cleaning products under private label for various direct sales companies. Capital to initially fund the start up of MCS private label operations came from a combination of a personal investment of $330,000 made from the sale of Tectronic Products Inc. — a company I was CEO of — and savings from deposits against contract from our private label customers of roughly $550,000. These funds allowed the initial product orders to be manufactured. Profits from increasing private label sales were continually invested back in the business for it to continue to grow organically. In 2004, we created HealthWay, which allowed us to build our own brand. The products we designed and manufactured for companies under private label carried the overhead but are lower margin sales for our company. Q.: You worked for several other companies before you started HealthWay — vice president of manufacturing for Duravent, president and CEO of Tectronic Products Inc., and owner and CEO of MCS Group Inc. What’s the most important lesson you learned form all those experiences? A.: Two key things I have learned — perseverance and finding people with strengths where I have weaknesses. Q.: At what point in your career did you decide to focus all your efforts on air purification products? A.: I did not make a conscious decision that air purification would be my only focus. Indoor air quality (IAQ) has continued to evolve and people have become more concerned with their health and air quality. The rise in allergies, asthma, bird flu, swine flu, tuberculosis and Legionella and just poor outside air quality in major cities in the United States as well as globally in regions like China and India have all contributed to the need for quality air cleaning equipment. The opportunities to provide
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a solution to poor indoor air quality continues to expand and our team is continually asked if we can provide equipment to solve a problem. Q.: You also operate a plant in China. Was it hard to start a plant in a different country? How does it work? A.: We have had certain vendors and customer relationships in Taiwan since 1990. I formed some strong friendships in Taiwan and Taiwanese people also speak Mandarin Chinese, the national language of China. The transition for Taiwanese business people to work in China is easier than Americans or many other nationalities since they can write in Chinese and speak Mandarin. In the mid- and late-1990s, more Taiwanese manufacturers started moving manufacturing from Taiwan to China to take advantage of lower labor costs. As a result, one of my Taiwanese colleagues and I elected to start manufacturing one OEM [original equipment manufacturer] product in conjunction with a general manager of one of our vendors in China. My Taiwanese colleague helped with the setup of this manufacturing process in China since he could easily communicate in Mandarin with the Chinese general manager and it helped that the time zone in Taiwan is the same as China. Also, flights to south China from Taipei, Taiwan are only one hour long. Q.: What were some of your foremost challenges in launching a business in China? A.: Setting up manufacturing in any country can be challenging. Doing it 7,000 miles away in a different culture and with staff that had different quality expectations based on different environmental and cultural backgrounds is even more challenging. Setting quality standards helps but even with the strictest ISO inspection procedures, the parameters have to be clearly set. This takes time and money. Without the proper quality standards established for manufacturing in China, product defect rates are high and costly. This meant our U.S. team and I had to spend significant time in China to assure the product quality parameters was met. Q.: How often do you have to travel AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
to China? Do you speak Chinese? A.: I used to travel to China once every six weeks. Now my son Vinny, the president of the company and other manufacturing and engineering staff, help reduce the need for me to travel to China that frequently. The China market has become a large market for us to sell our air quality products due to poor air quality. Now our team is expanding sales in China, and that will require more frequent trips to China in the future to train distributors and their sales and service teams. Over the past 24 months, we have added a Chinese-Asian operations manager — Yinyin Blodgett — along with a Chinese engineer and Chinese executive assistant to help us organize for Chinese and Asian business better. My Chinese speaking skills are limited. I know some social speaking Chinese but I am unable to communicate technical and business terms adequately. Having Chinese and Taiwanese staff that can communicate in Mandarin is essential to be successful in China and Taiwan. Q.: How do you compare your Chinese workers to the workers at your plant in Pulaski? A.: There are good workers or team members in China as well as in Pulaski. Production manufacturing staff needs to be trained and directed using proper systems to help assure goals are met. I believe this is important and a challenge regardless of where manufacturing is done. We have found that most people want to take pride in doing a job right. Usually when something is not done right by the manufacturing team here or in China, it is because management or I have not done our jobs in communicating or setting clear parameters. I find myself falling short in communicating more than I like to admit, especially as the business and product lines expand. Q.: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a business? A.: Make sure you have a passion for the field of your business and it is something you love, something you’re excited about, and something you are willing to get up early and stay up late to accomplish.
By Lou Sorendo OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Profile By Lou Sorendo
GARY TOTH Union leader’s new challenge: help lead the fight to prevent nuclear power plant from closing
G
ary Toth looked admiringly at the regulations posed a serious threat to Environmentally friendly Oswego Harbor from his vantage the health of the region’s nuclear power Besides his labor persona, Toth also industry. point atop Breitbeck Park. served on the New York State Great “If we don’t solve these regulatory Lakes Basin Advisory Committee from “This is one of the reasons why we work so hard for this area,” said Toth, 63, issues, these plants will be operating at 1998-2008. noting the beauty of the harbor provides either a loss or in distress and face posHe was a governor-appointed memsible decom- ber chosen based on his labor and enviinspiration enough for those working to m i s s i o n - ronmental background, which included improve the region. ing,” he being involved with Greenpeace USA, Toth is well known for his roles as said. a leader within United Brotherhood as well as his Oswego County residency. of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Toth said it was “probably one of Local 747 and as council representative the more satisfying organizations and for the Empire State Regional Council alliances I have had the privilege to be of Carpenters. part of.” The Mexico native and resident has One of the first things the Great worn many hats in his storied career, Lakes Basin group did was advise the from farmer, carpenter, labor leader, state legislature and governor to form environmentalist, and Red Cross emerpacts with other states and provinces gency volunteer. He is a staunch supwhich border the Great Lakes in order porter of the nuclear power industry in to pass legislation to control water Upstate New York and is currently vice diversions and regulate pollutants. chairman of the County of Oswego Toth’s concern for the enviIndustrial Development Agency. ronment is rooted in his farm It is Toth, who is now semi upbringing. retired, along the Upstate “You learn at an early age Energy Jobs coalition that to respect the land,” he said. has helped keep Entergy’s “I was fortunate to have James A. FitzPatrick nuclear grown up in two very large, power plant in Scriba alive. close and strong families Buoyed by leaders on both my father’s and such as Toth, the UEJ feamother’s side,” he said. tures representation from “We were close.” political and education Toth grew up in Mexc i rc l e s , e n v i ro n m e n ico and his family is from tal groups, businesses, the Adirondack region, nonprofits, communities an environment that and the International he learned to love and Brotherhood of Elecrespect. trical Workers Local “I learned quite a 97, which helps make Birth date: June 28, 1953 bit up there,” he said. up the workforce at Birthplace: Mexico “We were all farmers FitzPatrick as well as Current resident: Mexico with a strong work Exelon’s Nine Mile Education: Jefferson Community College; SUNY Oswego ethic. Point Units 1 and 2 Affiliations: Vice chairman, Oswego County Industrial Development Agency; Red “We took care of nuclear power plants Cross disaster response volunteer; Sandy Pond Sportsman Association the land and grew our in Scriba. own food. It’s one of Personal: Wife Lynn; son Kyle. 33; daughter Kelsey, 30 Once the coalition Hobbies: Woodworking and building; golf, tennis, yoga, cross country skiing, those life experiences was formed, it realized you learn at a young snowmobiling, and playing in the Mexico Alumni Band that dated state energy age and never forget.
Lifelines
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It builds from there.” Toth said he feels fortunate to have a close family unit, noting the same bond has been formed with his wife Lynn’s family as well. “Our grandparents were immigrants from Ireland and Hungary and very strong,” he said. When he was a child, his father was hurt after a farming accident. He had to sell all of his milkers and a lot of his livestock. Several other farms then hired Toth to hay as well as milk and do assorted chores. “I think that was a huge part of the work ethic I developed,” he said. “It’s tough work. You’re up at 4:30 in the morning and work late at night. It’s not like you can say, “Well, I’ve had enough for today’,” he said. Toth has been involved through Greenpeace USA in addressing the mercury problem in the Great Lakes. He and his wife Lynn joined Greenpeace in the late 1970s. “We are stewards of the community and environment,” he said. Toth’s focus was on reducing lead emissions from motor vehicles and carbon-producing Midwest plants, acid rain in the Adirondacks and the depletion of the ozone layer. “There are a lot of environmental issues that had to be addressed, and now our most pressing and immediate environmental challenge is climate change,” he said. “I do believe in climate change and we have to do something about it.”
Semi-retirement state of mind
Toth said the nice thing about being semi-retired is “you get to pick and choose what you want to do.” He is still involved with his labor union as well as the County Industrial Development Agency, which spawned the UEJ coalition. He is also exploring new avenues and recently attended an informational meeting regarding the proposed marine sanctuary in the region. He said such a resource would promote the area from a tourism perspective. “For a lot of organizations, my price is right because I am retired,” he said. “I’m fortunate and blessed to have a good pension through working with the union. “This affords me the opportunity to get involved in different organizations and committees, both large and small, to help the community and our region. We’ve been fortunate and blessed to live AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
in this area all our lives. Now it’s time to give back.” Toth said through his business and labor union career he was able to travel to all parts of the country, such as Hawaii, Maine and Florida. “These are great places to visit, but I love Oswego County, our quality of life and the change of seasons.” Toth said the region should promote itself more. “This comes back to building a coalition of county and regional government leaders, business leaders, labor and any organization that wants to be a part of it.” Toth’s son Kyle belongs to Millwrights 1163, while his daughter Kelsey is an elementary school teacher in the Ithaca school system and a member of the New York State United Teachers. Wife Lynn is a National Grid employee and member of IBEW 97. His allegiance to organized labor began at a young age. Both his parents were union members — his father with the Department of Transportation and his mother with the CSEA. In fact, his entire family has belonged to a union, whether it was in construction, communication or energy. His father’s family in the North Country all worked for the United Mine Workers. “It was one of those things where it was ingrained into me at a young age,” he said. “It was a positive thing because they had a decent wage.” They also had health insurance, pensions and various other benefits in large part unavailable in the non-union world. “After 20 years or so of working in organized labor, you see the benefit of our funds program,” he said. Toth said he had great mentors in Oswego County labor leaders Jack Simmons and William Shannon, along with respected Central New York labor leaders William Towsley, business manager for IBEW Local 43, and Bernie DeJoseph, business manager of the operating engineers. “They took me under their wing, advised me and worked with me to develop my leadership skills. If it wasn’t for my support network, I wouldn’t be where I am,” he said.
Allying with community
Toth has formed numerous allegiances through the many community organizations he has supported. One of his recent roles is as a Red Cross disaster responder. He assisted in OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
helping people cope in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. He provided shelter and logistics in areas of New York City such as the Far Rockaways, Breezy Point and Staten Island in the effort to restore normalcy to devastated areas. Toth has also provided Red Cross assistance when floods struck the Mohawk Valley, fires occurred in the Syracuse area and when water line freezing was rampant during a recent winter in Oswego. Where does Toth get the inspiration to volunteer in such a way? “I’ve had a great life and I’ve been very fortunate. Everything seems to have worked out for me as far as family, friends and work,” he said. “I was taught at a young age and through the union to give back to the community.” Toth said it’s gratifying work for the Red Cross but it’s exhausting. “You don’t get a lot of sleep, but I always thought that I will eventually go back to my home in Mexico, to my bed, supper and family, while those unfortunate people are living day to day just trying to make it through each day while sleeping in cold houses with no heat,” he noted. Toth said his current lifestyle “is an enjoyable and satisfying retirement for me. “I don’t see myself slowing down. I don’t see myself taking it easy. I still like playing sports like tennis and golf and enjoy camping and hiking in the Adirondacks. “But I also like lying down on the couch and watching New York Yankees’ baseball.” The Toths do not intend to move upon retirement, but instead will enjoy visiting some of their favorite places. “We were fortunate through the carpenters’ union and through other labor organizations to do a lot of traveling for meetings,” he said. “We got to see quite a bit of the country and there’s places to go back to.” Toth runs and does yoga to stay sharp. He also has engaged in numerous volunteer projects and donates his time and tradesman skill sets to make others happy. “I’m not rich, but I consider myself well off and I like helping people,” he said. Recently, he was helping a friend with a roofing project. “I enjoy the hard work. It brings me back to my roots. I like to test these old bones to see if they can still get on a roof and climb trusses,” he said. 13
Publisher’s note
T
he Holiday Inn Express in Oswego is a great new addition to the hospitality industry. I recently toured the $9.1 million 81room hotel and was very impressed with the feel of the place. It follows a brand new Holiday Inn design, which debuted in 2014. It seems more spacious, more modern than any other hotel I have seen. It has all the amenities for guests — plenty of areas with Wi-Fi, an oversized pool, a patio and fire pit outside and excellent rooms and eating areas.
The hotel is a few blocks from my office, yet while visiting the place I got the impression I was on vacation in a distant, exotic location. Why should we care about a new hotel in Oswego? Well, it’s the first major hotel built in more than two decades here and it’s a tremendous asset to the community. It’s one more component that helps
By Wagner Dotto the tourism industry. Guests who come to town and have a positive experience are likely to return or pass the word around about their experience. It also helps Oswego to become a more attractive place for larger events and conventions. Event planners are more likely to take a new look at Oswego as a place for their events. Vibrant downtown, friendly people, the lake and many brand new hotel rooms. In the pipeline is yet another hotel for Oswego, The Hampton Inn, which is projected to be built by the Broadwell family, which already owns several hotels in the area. The project is still in preliminary phases It turns out the Holiday Inn Express is just part of a big hotel construction boom in Central New York. At least 10 new other properties have been recently built
or are being built in the Syracuse region. “Many of the planners are now taking another look at our regions due to all of the new development,” said the vice president of Visit Syracuse, Tracey Burkey, in an interview for this issue. New hotels also trigger new competition. Owners of older, more established hotels and motels are more likely to renovate and maintain their property to remain competitive. It’s all good.
WAGNER DOTTO is the publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
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Where in the World is Sandra Scott? By Sandra Scott
Amsterdam More Than a Connecting Point
P
lanning on traveling to Europe? Consider making Amsterdam your first stop. There are often reasonable flights to Amsterdam and if you want to visit other European countries you can connect via one of Europe’s budget airlines such as Easy-Jet, Ryan Air, Transvia or German Wings. Keep in mind that on most budget airlines it is best to pay for baggage when booking a ticket — it is cheaper than doing so when checking in. For a stay of less than 90 days, Americans only need a passport valid for six months beyond
the departure date and two unused passport pages. The Netherlands is part of the European Union so the euro is the currency. Purchasing an I-Amsterdam City Card will allow admission to the best museum, a canal boat ride and unlimited city transport at a reduced rate. It includes a one-hour boat tour of the canals offering an excellent overview of the city. A mustdo is the Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands. The city’s oldest monument and first parish church is Oude Kerk with beautiful stained glass
windows in the Lady Chapel. Take note of the graves of the wealthy citizens buried in the floor of the chapel — the origin of the phrase “the stinking rich.” Guides at the Anne Frank House relate the moving story of Anne Frank, who with her family and the Van Pels family, remained hidden from the Germans for 25 months during World War II. Only her father survived the war. Anne died in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp at the age of 15 just weeks before the camp was liberated. Art lovers will revel in the art museums. The Dutch have more than their fair share of famous artists, including Rembrandt, Vermeer and Vincent Van Gogh. The Van Gogh Museum has the most comprehensive collection of his work. Works of other artists are also on display. The House of Bols has been making genever, called Dutch gin by the English, since 1664. They claim that English gin is patterned after the genever. The tour is fascinating but the best part is the tastings in The Hall of Taste and practicing your bartending skills at the Flair booth. At the end of the short tour visitors can pick a cocktail to enjoy. If your favorite adult libation is beer then don’t miss the Heinekin Experience at old Heineken brewery to learn the his-
A popular tourism attraction, boat tours of the Amsterdam canals offer excellent overview of the city. 16
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Guides at the Anne Frank House relate the moving story of Anne Frank, who remained hidden from the Germans for 25 months during World War II. She later died at the age of 15 just weeks before her concentration camp was liberated. tory of the Heineken family and follow the brewing process from water all the way through to bottling with tasting lessons at the end. The country’s policies on recreational drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage and euthanasia are among the most liberal in the world so visitors should not be surprised to find a red-light district and a sex museum. There are many great day trips from Amsterdam, including to the Keukenhof Gardens and the tulip fields. If you think today’s economy is unstable, consider the country’s tulip mania. In the 1600s, the Dutch Golden Age, at the height of the tulip mania, some single bulbs sold for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman and then the market collapsed. It is considered the first “economic bubble” and today the term “tulip mania” is used when assets are out of line with their value. What is the difference between Holland and the Netherlands? The official name of the country is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands consists of 12 provinces but many people use “Holland” when talking about the Netherlands. Technically, Holland refers to just two provinces: Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. Sandra Scott, a retired history teacher and the co-author of two local history books, has been traveling worldwide with her husband, John, since the 1980s. The Scotts live in the village of Mexico. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
The city’s oldest monument and first parish church is Oude Kerk with beautiful stained glass windows in the Lady Chapel.
Cocktail bar at The House of Bols, which has been making genever, called Dutch Gin by the English, since 1664. The best part of the tour is the tastings in The Hall of Taste and practicing your bartending skills at the Flair booth.
The tulip fields near Amsterdam are a big draw for people who visit the area. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
Putting Oswego On the Map Students and families from more than 60 countries come to Oswego every summer, thanks to an event created and directed by a SUNY Oswego chemistry professor
A
Q&A with Fehmi Damkaci, professor and chairman of the department of chemistry at SUNY Oswego and founder and director of Genius Olympiad. 1) What is Genius Olympiad in a nutshell? “It is an international high school project-based competition focused on the environment. The theme of the Genius Olympiad is the environment. We ask the students to prepare a project on different disciplines such as business, science, engineering, creative writing, art, short film, music. Then they submit these to us. Then the faculty of [SUNY] Oswego evaluates them. We select about 30 to 40 percent of the applications. Then those who are selected as finalists come here over the summer for a five-day event. They present their work and they answer questions for judges. At the end of that, the top 10 percent get a gold [medal], the next 20 percent get the silver and the next 20 percent get the bronze medal. We usually give some electronic gifts in addition to the medals.” 2) How did it start? “It started just as an idea, ‘Hey, why don’t we do something about project-based competi-
tion to help learning of the high school kids.’ Then the first year it was just science and art. Every year we added another team. Creative writing was added later. Next year we are going to add robotics. It started in 2010. We just held the sixth one. The first year it started with only 220 participants and this year it was about 950 participants. About 61 countries participated this year. Over the six years we’ve probably had participants from over 100 countries. We don’t provide funds for transportation. They have to be arriving at the Syracuse airport. After that we cover their costs.” 3) What’s your background? “I’m a chemist. I did three years teaching high school back in Turkey... then I applied for my PhD. I got my PhD at the University of Maryland, College Park in organic chemistry and nanotechnology. Then I did post-doctoral studies at Boston College. Since 2006 I have been a faculty member at SUNY Oswego and now am the chair of the chemistry department. I have a family with two kids. Both my kids, they were born in Oswego. My wife also works at the college.” 4) What motivates you to do this? “I was a high school teacher previously and I have an international background. I’m originally from Turkey. I’ve been in the United States for 20 years. Organizing such an event gave me an idea that providing an opportunity for high school students about the environment in project-based learning—that’s the best way of teaching kids. Genius Olympiad was born out of an idea to create a project-based competition for high school students, hosted by the college. It doesn’t have to be a science project. It separates Genius from any other competition worldwide.” 5) Who helps? “Judges usually are all [from] the Central New York area. We have judges from Syracuse University, ESF, SUNY Albany, Rochester — but it’s mainly SUNY Oswego. Like 60 percent of the judges are from SUNY Oswego. They’re
Professor Fehmi Damkaci, 43, the creator and director of Genius Olympiad, an event that has drawn thousands of high school students (and their families) from more than 60 countries. 18
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
faculty or staff. Terra Science and Education Foundation is the main sponsor. They do have staff members who help.” 6) How is this coordinated with the different countries? “Right now we have a reputation, so the website [www.geniusolympiad. org] gets about 40,000 unique visits in a year. Those visitors are from over 130 countries. People kind of know. It is the third or fourth biggest international high school competition worldwide. Over the years we’ve made that name and as people attend and are satisfied they just keep telling others. Word of mouth has increased the reputation of it. There are international schools. We send them an emails. We make new lists every year for the countries who have never attended before trying to get new schools. Once one school attends from a country, then usually they continue to attend. That’s how we make it keep growing.” 7) Local businesses must love what you do… “Yes. We brought about 1,000 participants in and they do a lot of shopping in the town. We do shuttle services to the Price Chopper and the Walmart. And then when they come from Niagara Falls they actually stop by at Destiny USA for four hours. They do a lot of shopping there, too. “We made a survey and I think some people spend about $2,000 to $3,000 because they buy iPhones, laptops and electronics. There’s a lot of stuff they buy from TJ Max and Walmart. It think the per-person average when we calculate was about $300 to $400. When you make it 1,000 people that’s $300,000. Based on our two surveys that’s what we’re averaging. It is very substantial.” 8) What’s the feedback been from the participants? “A lot of them said this is a unique experience for them. First, that’s their first international trip. Second, that’s the first time they’ve been to the U.S. A lot of them said they found the staff members they were working with friendly. They all have a different image of the U.S. from the movies. That’s the U.S. they know. When they come here [they find out] Oswego is much different than New York City. It’s more friendly with a small-town environment. It think that changes their perception of the U.S. — and us. The other thing they get is they meet with people from so many other countries. That is a good impact for the U.S. kids. We get a lot of U.S. kids who AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Group of students during the SUNY Oswego’s 2015 Genius Olympiad. This summer, the event drew 950 students (and their families) from more than 60 countries across the globe.
Event generates about $300,000 to the local economy, says organizer have never traveled outside of their state. This is one-to-one interaction for them. If there are any bad perceptions we are breaking them. Or we are building a good perception about a person from another country. That’s something they will never forget and it will impact the rest of their lives.” “We collect surveys. Usually out of five, 4.7 say they would recommend this. It’s highly enjoyed.” 9) Have you had any notable winners for business? “Yes, they’re all in the website. This year it was South Korea. You should have seen her presentation. That was awesome. Her story was when she (Yeojih Shin from Hankuik Academy in Yongih – Si Moheyeun, South Korea) was young her mom applied a makeup. The next day she got allergies against the makeup. Since then she has never been able to use any makeup. It turned out whatever she used it needed to be natural-based. Her idea was building a OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
new company that would be producing an all-natural makeup line. All the packaging should be as small as possible and use reusable material and also provide the public with information about natural-based makeup. “She made a business plan. She analyzed all the Korean makeup businesses. She looked at the companies that did similar lines of items that she was planning to sell. She compared her differences to those companies and what her advantages [were] — how she could compete with them. Then she made an estimate of how much it would cost for each item; how much material she needed; how much investment she needed. This was a beautiful presentation. She also made some of these items ...and brought the store design.” 10) Can the public participate? “Yes, we have community-open events which is International Night. All these participants, we ask them to bring cultural items to share and we also ask participants, if they know [one ], to sing a song, perform a dance. They do that, too. This year we had about 17 performances. We hope that more of the public could attend and enjoy and learn something. I wish there were more participation from the community.” 19
NEWSMAKERS NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESS & BUSINESS PEOPLE
Christiansen Promoted at ESA Eryl Christiansen has been promoted to resource manager at Eastern Shore Associates Insurance (ESA). “We are excited to have Eryl’s leadership in this new position,” said Martha Murray, ESA’s president. “He will be optimizing ESA’s sales, technology, training, advertising and agency exclusive programs. This will lead to increased sales, ensure the optimal use of technology, empower our agents, enhance our reputation, and improve team efficiency.” Christiansen will be working Christiansen out of ESA’s Fulton, Walworth and North Syracuse offices, Murray said, while continuing to serve the client base he has grown as a producer in the greater Rochester area. “I’m looking forward to the challenges and rewards associated with this position as all of us at ESA work together to reach our goals,” Christiansen said. Christiansen has been with ESA for more than six years and resides in Henrietta with his wife, Donna; son, Conell, 18; and daughter, Ashley, 17.
Pathfinder Has New VP Lending Leader Ronald G. Tascarella has been named vice president and team leader of commercial lending for Pathfinder Bank. He will be responsible for the continued growth of the bank’s commercial loan portfolio and management of the commercial team. “We are excited to welcome Ron to Pathfinder Bank,” said Calvin Corriders, first vice president and sales manager. “He has been involved in commercial lending for over a decade, and brings considerable experience and enthusiasm 20
to Pathfinder Bank and our commercial business team. His leadership skills, knowledge, and community involvement will bring new depth to the bank. Ron will be a true benefit to our growing customer base in our markets.” Prior to his new position, Tascarella was vice president and relationship manager for middle market commercial banking at M&T Bank of Syracuse. Tascarella joined M&T Bank in June of 2008. Before joining M&T Bank, he was
a commercial credit analyst for Community Bank, N.A. Tascarella is a graduate of SUNY Oswego with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a minor in economics. He holds an MBA from Syracuse University. In 2010, he received the 40 Under 40 award for the Greater Syracuse Area. Tascarella currently serves on the American Red Cross of Central New York board of directors and on Tascarella
Zelko Kirincich, executive director and chief executive officer of the Port of Oswego (third from the left), during an event in Chicago where the port received an award from the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Port of Oswego Receive 14th Pacesetter Award
T
he Port of Oswego was recently awarded its 14th Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award from the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. SLSDC Administrator Betty Sutton presented the award to Zelko Kirincich, executive director and chief executive officer of the port, during the semi-annual American Great Lakes Ports Association meeting held recently in Chicago. The Pacesetter Award was instituted to honor the achievements of Great Lakes ports aggressively marketing international exports and imports. During the 2015 navigation season, the port handled 185,472 metric tons of freight through the Seaway, repreOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
senting a 2 percent jump in tonnage over 2014 figures. Imported cargoes consisted of aluminum, agriculture grains, salt, cement and fuels. The port had an increase in aluminum, grains and salt shipments. The partnership with Novelis continued to be a major factor in the increase of aluminum imports. “The Port of Oswego had another great year. Earning 14 Pacesetter Awards does not happen by luck — it happens because of the hard work, dedication and vision of the committed team of professionals at the port authority,” said Administrator Sutton. “It is a true honor to present the Port of Oswego this prestigious award.” AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
the Home HeadQuarters, Inc., business committee. He has previously held leadership positions with Hanover Square Association, Inc., and Junior Achievement of Central New York, Inc., and was involved with 40 Below and the Risk Management Association-Empire Chapter.
Prof attends higher ed leadership institute Marcia M. Burrell, professor and chairwoman of curriculum and instruction at SUNY Oswego, recently attended the 2016 Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Bryn Mawr Summer Institute. Burrell was also invited to join the HERS Luce Program for Women in STEM Leadership. Burrell joined a group of 64 women leaders from across the United States as part of the HERS Institute at Bryn Mawr College, 21 of whom are a part of the HERS Luce Program. She is supported for participation by the SUNY Oswego president’s owffice and School of Education. During her more than two decades at Oswego, Burrell has constantly worked to further her own leadership development while working to encourage and support initiatives that proBurrell mote strong professional growth for her faculty colleagues. One of her most recent roles involves serving as a mentor and co-coordinator of the college’s Mentoring Core Group for Faculty and Staff of Color, which establishes a network of mentors across campus to give attention and support to first- and second-year employees while working to engage with professionals of color who live and work in the local community. Burrell’s current and recent activities also have included projects focused on developing and facilitating undergraduate courses and travel with colleagues and students to France and the African nation of Benin, teaching mathematics from a multicultural perspective and using data to promote organizational change.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
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Barnes Joins Step One as Summer Intern
Oswego Native Joins Local Dental Practice
Step One Creative, an Oswego-based advertising design and public relations firm, has announced that Brandon Barnes has joined the agency as a summer intern, according to president Shane R. Stepien. Barnes, who is a native of Constantia, is a junior graphic design major with a minor in audio design and production at SUNY Oswego. “I am excited to be doing what I love, while being able to learn Barnes in a professional setting,” Barnes said. “I plan on using my experiences at Step One Creative to further my academic studies.” In addition to the internship, Barnes is a resident assistant at SUNY Oswego, and recently made dean’s list during the spring 2016 semester.
Steven Kolenda has recently joined the practice of dentist Robert Schaefer, DDS in Oswego. Kolenda, a native of Oswego, graduated magna cum laude in 2015 with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. He also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, graduating summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Fredonia. He most recently completed his clinical rotation at SUNY Upstate Medical University, general practice residency program, where he continued his comprehensive general dentistry education. A member of the American Dental Association, Kolenda, has served in a variety of leadership and community service roles during his undergraduate and graduate education and residency. Kolenda
Treadwell Re-elected to NYSEDC Board
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Operation Oswego County Executive Director L. Michael Treadwell was re-elected to another two-year term on the board of directors of the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC) at the organization’s annual meeting held in Cooperstown in May. NYSEDC is the state’s principle organization representing economic development professionals, colleges and universities, and private sector enterprises for more than 40 Treadwell years. In addition to distributing an electronic newsletter, the organization conducts educational courses and seminars on topics of interest to its membership. The organization also monitors state and federal legislation that impacts economic development.
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
SUNY Grad Now a Partner at Dannible Charla Roth, who earned bachelor ’s and master ’s degrees in accounting at SUNY Oswego, has been appointed a partner at Dannible & McKee, LLP. She has been with the firm’s audit department since 2003, handling all aspects of audit, accounting and consulting services with manufacturRoth ers, architectural and engineering firms, and not-for-profit organizations. She is also a certified public accountant. Roth has a long history of civic leadership, serving as president and treasurer of the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance’s Central New York Chapter. She serves on the board of directors of County North Children’s Center and AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
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previously served as its treasurer. Roth also served on the career opportunities in accounting profession committee for the NYSSCPA and the United Way fiscal and management review committee. Presently, she serves as treasurer for the Crouse Hospital Auxiliary board of directors and is also a recipient of the 2014 40 Under Forty Awards. Dannible & McKee, LLP also announced that Sean T. Daughton has become a partner. He has been with the firm’s audit department for over 15 years. As a partn e r, D a u g h t o n will continue to provide auditing, consulting and forensic accounting services to private companies in the automotive, manufacturing Daughton and retail industries. Daughton served as CFO for a multi-franchise automotive group prior to joining the Dannible. He is a graduate of Le Moyne College and is a certified public accountant in New York as well as a certified fraud examiner. He served on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity for many years and presently serves as treasurer of the Board for FOCUS Greater Syracuse.
SUNY: Fundraising Milestone Achieved “With Passion & Purpose: The Campaign for SUNY Oswego” has achieved a historic milestone in its five-year journey by surpassing the $40 million announced goal. This is the largest announced campaign among all SUNY comprehensive colleges — Oswego’s peer schools — and nearly double the college’s last campaign goal of $23 million. “We set out on our journey five years ago to secure the resources we need to prepare students to contribute to the common good,” SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley said. “As a public institution, we pride ourselves on keeping the doors of education and possibility open wide to all who seek higher education and a better life. “To support that mission and to keep college affordable and within reach, we laid out an ambitious plan to raise $40 million,” she said. “I am thrilled OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
to announce that we have achieved that milestone, and we thank each and every person who helped us reach this moment. We are continuing to build momentum and have our sights set for an even stronger finish by the campaign’s end on June 30.” The major accomplishment of the campaign, so far, has been the growth of the endowment from $11.5 million in 2011 to now more than $29 million, an increase of 152 percent. The Oswego College Foundation, composed primarily of alumni representatives, has stewarded the gifts exceptionally well: the college endowment’s 10-year rate of return of 7.9 percent exceeded the 7.2 percent rate of Oswego’s aspirational group — universities with endowments over $1 billion — and the industry average of 6.3 percent. This long-term rate of return is a key factor determining how much money the Oswego College Foundation will pay out in privately endowed scholarships. In addition to approximately $4 million in merit scholarships awarded to Oswego students each fall, the Oswego College Foundation provides $800,000 in more than 350 scholarships. So far, the campaign has created more than 60 new scholarships for students and increased endowment levels on several existing scholarships to add to existing totals — which translates into larger or more scholarships for students. Additionally, more than 25 other new funds to support student achievement in the form of assistantships, internships and excellence funds have been established during the campaign. “Since our founding 155 years ago, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to make education accessible to people from all walks of life,” Stanley said. “The campaign has greatly enhanced our Oswego College Foundation scholarship program to enable eager learners -- who may not have the financial means to attend college, including many first-generation college students -- to obtain a college education. Through their Oswego experience, these students will better themselves, expand their worldview and become productive, engaged citizens who will serve their communities.
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DiningOut By Jacob Pucci
Guide
Restaurant
1-9-7 BAR & bistro opened in 2011 and in 2013 doubled in size to offer both a main dining room and a hip, but comfortable lounge area, complete with exposed brick walls and chic metal décor.
1-9-7 BAR & bistro A
It offers some of the best fine dining and cocktails in all of Central New York
t the bottom of the lengthy cocktail menu at 1-9-7 BAR & bistro are the words “Drink alcohol. Because no great story ever started with a salad.” While that tongue-in-cheek sentiment is largely true, that does not mean a great meal cannot start with a salad, just as ours did at the Oswego restaurant on a recent Saturday evening. The seasonal cocktail menu, filled with colorful one-liners describing the cleverly named drinks — “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “I’ll Have What She’s
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Having” and “The Donkey Punch” — among many others, is a prelude of what’s to come: Brilliant dishes crafted in a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The fried goat cheese salad ($13) was a well-dressed blend of crisp greens, fresh blueberries and strawberries, candied pecans, pickled onions and two balls of warm fried goat cheese. The salad was fresh and vibrant with the right amount of zip from the blueberry port vinaigrette. With a greens-to-berries ratio bordering on 50-50, the salad would OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
be substantial enough as a light entrée. As a child, I was squeamish around raw oysters, but as an adult, I’ve come to love the flavor of the ocean locked between two shells, ready to be shucked. That night, the oysters ($3 each) came from the Pacific Northwest. Served with a classic mignonette, the oysters were fresh and paired beautifully with our “My My Amaro” cocktail ($9), a blend of amaro, gin, fresh lime, cucumber, sugar syrup and ginger beer perfect for a summer evening. Like the cocktail list, the dinner AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Fried goat cheese salad: The salad combines crisp greens, fresh berries and warm, fried goat cheese. menu changes seasonally, but Bistro 197 always has a variation of seared duck breast on the menu. This time, the duck came with an Asian hoisin pan sauce, mashed potatoes and summer vegetables, a mix of green and yellow squash and red peppers. The duck ($20) is served medium-rare by default and for good reason. The perfectly-cooked meat is tender and the fatty, succulent skin simply melts in your mouth. The chef used a heavy hand of salt and pepper in the mashed potatoes, which might turn off some diners, but I thought the potatoes were nicely seasoned. The same vegetables, plus eggplant, came alongside the black grouper ($22), a special that evening. In both cases, the vegetables were tender, but with a bit of bite, like a properly cooked al dente pasta. Had the vegetables been cooked for a few seconds in either direction, such perfection would have been impossible. Browned butter clung to the crisp crust on the grouper filet and the whipped goat cheese and chive mousse perched on top of the fish began to slowly melt, like a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a warm brownie. The sweet balsamic vinegar and herb oil on the plate tied the whole dish together. After cleaning our plates after each course, we had to somehow find room for the snickerdoodle crème brûlée ($7). The downfalls of a poorly made crème brûlée — grainy, undercooked sugar crust or lumpy, curdled egg custard — were nowhere to be seen. Not only was the burnt sugar crust crisp and thin, but the cool custard was silky, rich and with just the right amount of sweetness. At first, I figured the snickerdoodle AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Black grouper filet with sauteed summer vegetables and goat cheese mousse.
simply meant there was cinnamon in the custard, but this dessert perfectly encapsulated all the components of the classic cookie, down to that classic snickerdoodle tang from the cream of tartar. Bistro 197 opened in 2011 and in 2013 doubled in size to offer both a main dining room and a hip, but comfortable lounge area, complete with exposed brick walls and chic metal décor. That night’s musician — there’s live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night — had just wrapped up his first song as we finished dessert. We were the only diners in the dining room when we sat down, but both the dining room and lounge began to fill with vibrancy and excitement as the night went on. The restaurant was bustling by the time we left, but we still felt like we were let in on a little secret: That some of the best fine dining and cocktails in all of Central New York can be found in downtown Oswego.
Oysters: The sweet, briny oysters that day came from the Pacific Northwest.
1-9-7 BAR & Bistro
Address: 197 W. First St., Oswego, N.Y, 13126 Phone: 315-343-2930 Hours: Monday: 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday: 11:30 a.m. 3 p.m., 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. 3 p.m., 5 p.m. - 10w p.m. Website: http://www.bistro197.com OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Duck breast: Seared duck breast, served medium-rare, served with hoisin pan sauce, mashed potatoes and summer vegetables. 29
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The Newspaper Business is Dying, Right? Buffett, Bezos and other high-powered businessmen are snatching up newspapers everywhere. Do they know something we don’t? ‘The Sample Group, which owns about 20 community newspapers in the Middle Atlantic states, including The Palladium-Times in Oswego, is an example of a growing chain that is in acquisition mode.’
BRUCE FRASSINELLI is the former publisher of The Palladium-Times and an adjunct online instructor at SUNY Oswego. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
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mid all of the doom and gloom predic- Sox, bought the Boston Globe in 2013 for an tions about the demise of newspapers estimated $70 million and invested heavily in and the news business, there has been new online news sites. Analysts asked whether an interesting against-the-grain develop- a knowledgeable businessman could save the ment: Some of the top movers and shakers paper, which had been on the ropes because of buyouts and cutbacks. In in the business world fact, its then-owner, the have been snatching up My Turn New York Times, almost newspapers. shut down the paper when So, the question is: What do they know that the rest of us do not? it could not find a buyer. Billionaire businessman Glen Taylor, owner Warren Buffett acquired the Fredericksburg (Va.) Free-Lance Star, his 32nd newspa- of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ NBA franchise, per, earlier this year. Buffett’s media group bought the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in 2014 for is owner of major papers in Buffalo, Omaha, an estimated $100 million and vowed to make Neb., and Richmond, Va. The purchase price it the relevant voice it once was when he was a boy growing up near Mankato, Minn. was not disclosed. David Chavern, president and CEO of In his March 2013 letter to Berkshire shareholders, Buffett said newspaper industry Newspaper Association of America, said the profits are certain to decline, but that papers acquisitions by Buffett, Bezos, as well as busithat report local news well and have sensible nessmen Henry and Taylor, demonstrate that Internet strategies “will remain viable for a print journalism remains “relevant, even as our digital audience — on mobile, social media, long time.” Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of amazon. virtual reality and a variety of other platforms com, purchased the venerable Washington — continues to grow rapidly.” Because of his position, we might expect the Post in 2013, for an estimated $250 million. At about the time of his purchase of the NAA’s Chavern to be a shill for the newspaper Post, Bezos told NBC News, “I think printed business, but his observations don’t necessarily newspapers on actual paper may be a luxury jibe with the facts. According to the Pew Reitem. It’s sort of like people still have horses, search’s 2015 State of the News Media report, but it’s not their primary way of commuting before the Internet, advertising at big newspapers accounted for about 80 percent of revenues. to the office.” John W. Henry, owner of the Boston Red That dropped to an average of 57 percent. “Newspaper ad revenue has maintained a consistent trajectory: Print ads have produced less revenue (down 5 percent), while digital ads have produced more revenue (up 3 percent) — but not enough to make up for the fall in print revenue,” the report said. “And it’s only getting worse: digital ads, once thought to be the savior of print, are increasingly being blocked,” according to the report. Many news industry analysts see Continued on the next page OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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The Newspaper Business.... Continued from previous page a disconnect between big and small newspapers. While the major metros, such as the ones bought recently by the well-known business icons cited in this column continue to struggle, many community newspapers seem to be doing much better. There’s no doubt that non-daily newspapers are doing better, overall, than their daily brethren, says self-proclaimed news guru, Kevin Slimp. “Increased ad sales, more stable circulation and other positive signs dominate the surveys completed by weekly publishers. Daily numbers seem to be less favorable across the board.” After analyzing the results of a survey of 800 newspaper operators, Slimp also said that the industry is “clearly looking up compared to three years ago.” Most importantly, he added, “privately-held newspapers, that are part of small groups and allow for a lot of local control, represent the strongest corner of the industry.”
The Sample Group, which owns about 20 community newspapers in the Middle Atlantic states, including The Palladium-Times in Oswego, is an example of a growing chain that is in acquisition mode and gives its publishers wide latitude to make decisions that reflect the areas that the newspapers serve. Jon Spaulding, publisher of The Palladium-Times, said that while larger metros are trying to determine how small they need to be to operate at a level that is financially acceptable to their ownership, community newspapers have always been small and are comfortable operating at that level. Spaulding also pointed out that lifestyles and technology are dictating a new focus on digital media. “There are many readers to serve in the digital space, and that’s an exciting prospect for all newspapers, big and small; however, the industry hasn’t quite figured out how to monetize digital in a way that equals what they had in print.” Spaulding said.
Smaller, community dailies are, in a sense, enjoying the best of both worlds right now, he believes. “They serve a niche for print-centric markets that are smaller and rural in nature, and at the same time are establishing new digital solutions that reach new readers and produce new revenue streams,” Spaulding said. Chavern, whose nonprofit organization represents nearly 2,000 newspapers and their multiplatform businesses in the U.S. and Canada, said readers are “hungry to understand their world.” He added: “Communities still want to be informed and connected. The format of the news will continue to evolve, but the need for journalism remains — and this need is uniquely met by newspaper organizations. Chavern said that this is what Buffett, Bezos, Henry and Taylor see in the future for news. “While they value the public service journalism of local news organizations,” he said, “they are also smart investors. They know how to identify assets that will turn a profit.” Maybe. It remains to be seen whether even these high-powered and wealthy businessmen can turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse.
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
edge over the competition as well as the inclusion of Wi-Fi service for the downtown and canal area. The mayor has been criticized for the addition of Wi-Fi; however, Barlow said he feels it’s necessary to draw people downtown. Both commercial and recreational vessels will have Internet access as well. “The governor believes in establishing Internet access statewide. I’m sure that was worth some points,” Barlow said. Oswego beat Fulton, Auburn and Cortland for the $10 million windfall. The projects presented by the city include:
Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow holding a symbolic check of the $10 million the city was awarded by New York state. The city was selected as result of a competitive process by the state’s Central New York Regional Economic Development Council. Oswego beat Fulton, Auburn and Cortland to get the grant.
What to Do with $10,000,000
How Oswego officials managed to win the competition for a $10 million state grant — and what they plan to do with the money
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state planning team will visit Oswego in the near future to assist city officials with determining what projects will become part of the recently awarded $10 million downtown revitalization grant. “The state planning team will compare their findings to our plan and determine how much to use,” Mayor William J. Barlow, Jr. said. City officials presented an aggressive, two-part plan titled “Building on Momentum,” which included economic development and downtown beautification. Barlow said AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
the intention of the grant application was to show how the city could connect downtown to the waterfront. “We did everything in-house,” Barlow said. Along with the mayor, the grant writing team included City Attorney Kevin Caraccioli, Community Development Director Justin Rudgick and Zoning and Planning Director Amy Birdsall. Barlow said he believes not farming out the grant writing gave the city the
BUSINESS UPDATE
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Midtown Plaza – The proposed project would feature a newly constructed mixed-use building with 24 market-rate residential units and approximately 20,000 square feet of commercial space on the first and second floor of a four-story building fronting East Bridge Street. Buckhout-Jones Building – The building houses the Children’s Museum of Oswego and the city proposes to assist in funding the total development cost to fully equip and build out the space necessary to maximize its mission and to serve as a regional educational, cultural and learning experience. Exterior renovation and stabilization is planned to preserve and improve the aesthetics of the building that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Cahill Building – The proposed project will provide six two-bedroom market rate apartments and an expansion to allow for a turnkey space for a restaurant. It is also proposed that additional residential units would be provided through the construction of new townhouse apartments. Flexo Wire Site – Located within the waterfront corridor area, the city recently issued a request for proposal to solicit qualified developers for the site. It has the potential to become a mixed-use project. West Pier Landing – This property at 77-79 W. First St. could be comprised of 18 market-rate apartments through 33
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the construction of townhouses. Oswego Business Incubator – The incubator project proposes to renovate the existing 43,000 square foot vacant grocery store building (Price Chopper) into a world-class mixed-use startup business incubator facility that will be owned by the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency. The identified anchor projects will transform downtown Oswego and leverage additional direct private investments of nearly $50 million. Mayor Barlow stressed that the state’s planning team could reject some or all of the projects, or they could approve them all. “We don’t know yet what’s exempted and what’s included,” he said. The downtown revitalization initiative could include façade improvement, street improvements, more green space and city officials would like downtown to be more user friendly. Although the mayor had no timeline for the projects to commence, he said he believed the governor would like to see results happen quickly. Barlow also wasn’t sure how the funding would be received. It could come in piecemeal, he said, rather than in a lump sum. Business owners not directly included in the plans are excited about the improvements, Barlow said. When asked if the city would kick in funds to improve something that wasn’t covered under the grant, Barlow said it would make sense for the city to invest a little when the state has invested so much. He would, however, do so without raising taxes. The 122 page grant application can be found on the city’s new website.
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Pick up a free copy at various high traffic locations in CNY or read it online at
CNYsummer.com AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Shawn Mahoney, owner of The Sausage Shack in Fulton, shows off his cattle tattoo. He says this is the busiest season of the year for him. “It’s like a light switch, people are outside grilling again and attending more parties.”
Sausage Shack
Sees Surge in Business During Grilling Season
Business has expanded to offer steaks, bacon, pork chops and staples like hot sauces
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utcher Shawn Mahoney, owner of The Sausage Shack in Fulton, plays by his own rules. Three and a half years after opening his business in the Lakeside Shopping Plaza, his one-man operation has paid off — literally. Mahoney grew up in meat markets, and has been a butcher for more than two decades. He started making his own specialty sausage out of his garage, selling his product through orders on his Facebook page. Mahoney wanted to test the waters to see if he had a viable business idea, but the state quickly came in to shut the operation down. Wanting to create a legitimate business — and feeling confident that it would succeed — Mahoney signed a $10,000-a-year lease and opened Jan. 31, 2013. At the time there were no specialty meat shops in Fulton. Mahoney liked the location at 724A W. Broadway because AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
of the bank next door and because “the people here needed something like this.” In the beginning, The Sausage Shack was open one day a week, enough for customers to stop in and pick up their orders. He started with a big cooler, meat grinder and a table. As business started to pick up, so did the Shack’s availability. Mahoney says he invested $10,000-$20,000 into his business, without bank financing. He has a pay-as-he-goes approach to his butcher shop, investing in improvements, like display cases, when he can afford to. While sausage is his best seller, Mahoney also offers steaks, bacon, pork chops and staples like hot sauces, ketchup and buns. At any given time, there are six different varieties of sausage in the case. This includes anything from
BUSINESS UPDATE
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
a chicken wing sausage, made with chicken, hot sauce and blue cheese, to the Loaded Mahoney: pork combined with garlic, bacon, cheese and jalapenos. Other funky flavors must be ordered, such as his Friday the 13th variety made with paprika and garlic, or the Reuben: pork combined with 1000 island dressing, Swiss, and sauerkraut. “People are digging the different kinds of sausages,” said Mahoney. Mahoney does little advertising; most of his business comes from word of mouth. “I have awesome customers. My paycheck is good service.” The Sausage Shack’s busiest, highest-grossing months are between Memorial Day and Labor Day. “It’s like a light switch, people are outside grilling again and attending more parties.” Mahoney spends most of his time in the shop packing, wrapping and tagging. After closing on Wednesdays, he grinds 300 pounds of meat to get him through the weekend. “I’ve already sold 110 pounds and its just Tuesday,” said Mahoney. Mahoney lives in Minetto with his wife Sherry and their two children. He hopes to pass his business to his two sons someday.
By Nicole Shue 35
Why Davidson Ford Moved to Clay Facade of the new site of Davidson Ford located on 32 acres at Route 31 and Route 57, an intersection known as Moyers Corners. Below is the main lounge of the dealership.
The successor of Fred Raynor Ford in Fulton chooses new location based on greater long-term growth potential. It wants to be top seller in CNY market
I
t’s good to be King. Dan King that is. King is the general manager at Davidson Auto Group’s new Ford location in Clay. In April 2015, Davidson bought out Fred Raynor Ford in Fulton. The decision was made to then relocate the business to Route 31 in Clay. The new site is located on 32 acres at Route 31 and Route 57, an intersection known as Moyers Corners. Davidson purchased five different parcels with a combined value of $3 million, according to town of Clay real property tax services. Earlier this summer, Davidson Auto Group opened the doors to its newest location. “The decision really was more about aligning the business where it’s best suited to perform on a long-term basis,” King said. “Fulton has been a tremendous community and supported the Ford brand very well for many years.” However, Clay offers significantly greater long-term growth potential, he noted.
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He said the new location offers several advantages, including cleaner and more up-to-date service facilities and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment for more timely repairs. There is also substantially more inventory for a wider selection and an infusion of technology throughout all departments, he added. “These things combined greatly enhance the operational efficiency of the business and lead to a world-class guest experience,” he said. King said Davidson Ford has positioned itself to become one of the top automotive campuses in all of Central and Upstate New York. “Route 31 in Clay is arguably one of the fastest-growing and most traveled retail corridors in the area,” he said. “Our investment aligns well with the expectations of the residents in the area who will soon become our customers. “We think we’re bringing one of the strongest mainstream brands in the auto business to an underserved market. We like our chances.” OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
New Ford cars and trucks are featured at the Clay location, as well as all makes and models of pre-owned vehicles. It will initially carry more than 300 new Fords and 150 pre-owned vehicles featuring all makes and models. Based in Watertown, Davidson is a family-owned company that also has car dealerships in Watertown and Rome. It sells new Fords, Nissans, Chevrolets, Cadillacs, Buicks and GMCs, as well as many brands of used vehicles. It also operates two Collision Center repair facilities and nine Precision Wash car washes. Davidson is the fourth Ford dealership in Onondaga County. The others are Dave Pirro Ford in SkaAUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Dan King is the general manager at Davidson Auto Group’s new Ford location in Clay.
neateles, Koerner Ford in Syracuse and Romano Ford in Fayetteville.
New home in Fulton
Davidson began its transition from Fulton in late June and after an extended July 4th holiday weekend, opened its doors officially on July 5. “Relocating the franchise itself is relatively inexpensive,” King said. “The real investment to move the business comes with the new real estate, design and construction of the facility and ultimately, the additional staffing necessary to operate effectively.” According to the town of Clay’s planning and development office, the dealership building cost $3.1 million, the car wash facility cost $300,000 and the collision repair facility cost $1.9 million. King said the foremost challenges involved in relocating the business can be explained in three words: people, process and product. “A new store means a lot of new people. Finding great ones and immersing them into the culture of the organization is critical,” he said. “A new facility means the old way of doing things will likely not translate all that well because we have new travel patterns, different tools, more equipment and a greater expectation from our guests,” he said. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
King said the Davidson staff is spending a lot of time reinventing their current processes to leverage the strengths of their new home. The last challenge is the product or inventory, he said. “Short term, it’s physically moving it and getting it re-merchandised for proper display,” he said. “It’s not only cars and trucks, but parts, tools, and special tools. Re-merchandising is not only in the building and parking lot, but also online.” In terms of long-term challenges, King said, “We just have more of everything than we are currently accustomed to — more cars and trucks, more parts, and more people. All these things require additional resources.”
BUSINESS UPDATE
All in the family
Davidson Auto Group is operating in its third generation. Donald Davidson Sr. opened the doors to his first dealership in Watertown in 1960. Some 20 years later, Dwight Davidson stepped up to join the business after he graduated from Syracuse University. “The group is very proud to be over 50 years old,” King said. “The current operating generation or OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
second generation is welcoming and transitioning to the third generation. They’re young, smart, ambitious and work well with technology. We like that and think the company is primed for continued stability and further growth down the road.” King said there are benefits to being associated with a family-owned and run business. “I think it comes down to the people. The Davidson family prides itself on being nice people to do business with. It’s not just a marketing slogan; we really live it,” he said. “We operate on a first-name basis with everyone in the organization, top to bottom.” King said Davidson is able to make decisions on a local level and can streamline decisions when it comes to supporting community events such as Little League baseball or a local 5K walk/run. Factors that affect consumer choices when it comes to selecting vehicles transcend who makes the best cars and trucks. “The reality today is that all manufacturers make a great vehicle. The standards have been raised across the board,” King said. “In my opinion, consumer choices in today’s environment are made based on fairness, transparency and exceptional experiences.”
By Lou Sorendo
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The 7,150-square-foot building within the Oswego County Industrial Park in Schroeppel, long-time home of a SUNY Oswego satellite campus, is now home of the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation.
CiTi’s Growth Spurt T
Center expands into industrial park in Schroeppel
he Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation has leased a 7,150-sq.-ft. building within the Oswego County Industrial Park at 70 county Route 59, Schroeppel. The location was used by SUNY Oswego until May. CiTi is the former BOCES, or Board of Cooperative Educational Services based in Mexico. Christopher J. Todd, district superintendent, said as of mid-July, the CiTi had approximately 10 staff at the new location. CiTi is operating its migrant education program as well as its arts-in-education offices from this location, which is being leased from Operation Oswego County. “This site will also be used for countywide staff development for the staff of Oswego County school districts, as needed, as well as a common meeting location for school district staff for district or CiTi-organized events,” Todd said. “Districts and other entities that participate in the migrant or arts-in-education programs are more
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efficiently served by having a centrally located facility. It also provides space that may be needed to service the needs of Oswego County school districts that cannot be accommodated within the main campus location,” he added. Todd said inhouse staff handled the move and no additional resources were used. He said interest in the new site was contemplated when CiTi’s capital project was designed. “Space at our main campus location in Mexico was prioritized for student programs, which left us a couple of programs needing an alternate location,” he said. “This site was perfectly suited to fit our needs. The programs housed there provide regional services, reaching into continuous counties to the south and west, and as such, we’re much better suited with a more centrally located home base.” Todd said future plans at the new
BUSINESS UPDATE
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
site could include additional student programs and adult education as needed. “However, any programs would reside within the same building,” he said. “We have no future plans to expand our footprint within the park.” SUNY Oswego discontinued programs at its Phoenix Center facilities in May, shifting operations to the main Oswego campus and Metro Center in Syracuse. “It’s beneficial for the communities we serve and favorable for CiTi, which will be able to offer additional programming from the Phoenix location,” said Jill Pippin, dean of SUNY Oswego’s division of extended learning. “It’s a win for SUNY Oswego in that we will continue to offer educational opportunities to Oswego County citizens at our main campus and to a wider audience at our branch campus in Syracuse.” The college had leased the building from Operation Oswego County since 1994.
By Lou Sorendo AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
From left, owner Timothy Bonner, Cassandra Clark and Brian Cox attend to business at PC Masters Tech Repair in downtown Oswego.
Masters of Tech
PC Masters Tech Repair moves to a new location in Oswego, adds two employees With most people attached to some kind of electronic device, particularly cell phones, it’s nice to know someone is right around the corner eager to keep them connected and online. PC Masters Tech Repair offers cell phone repairs, computer repairs, and attends to all things associated with technology in Oswego County. The business, owned by Timothy Bonner, was established several years ago. It recently became part of Lighthouse Coworks, a collaborative co-working space for entrepreneurs, independent professionals, freelancers and startups located in downtown Oswego. PC Masters Tech Repair is located at 186 W. First St., second floor, the home of Lighthouse Coworks. As of Aug. 15, however, the business was expected to be located at 104 W. Utica St., second floor. The business focuses on cell phones and smart phones, ranging from archaic flip phones to the stateof-the-art Samsung GS7 Edge. It also does computer repair, primarily laptops and desktops. The business also specializes in data recovery causes by computer crashes, viruses or hard drives that no longer function. The service most in demand, however, is cell phone repair. “In society today, everyone is AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
walking around with a computer in their pockets. That cell phone is a lifeline to everyone,” he said. When Staples closed in Oswego in 2014, it left Bonner with the only mobile phone repair shop in the city. “There was no local all-encompassing [cell phone] repair shop,” he said. “There was no other place that would tear apart a tech device, rebuild it, and put it back together and make the customer happy.” His love for all things tech started at age 5 when he played video games on an Apple II computer. At the age of 8, he disassembled his first computer. Since then, his passion has grown steadily into a technology empire. He usually works 10 hours a day, seven days a week, he said.
Finds his niche
To him, it’s not work; it’s his passion. “When I founded PC Masters, it wasn’t about the money,” he said. “The most important thing was relationships, period.” “When a customer comes in, they become family,” he added. “It’s not a matter of having a set price for every single person. It’s hearing why they are in my shop.” “It’s about repeat customers and learning about their families,” he said. “My competitive edge is my relationship with customers.” OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Bonner said it typically takes a day or two to service computers and as quick as 30 minutes for cell phones. “When they look at their returned device and it’s like brand new, they can’t help but smile and say thank you several times,” he said. “For me, I’m just doing what I love and doing my job so it’s no big deal. To them, I’m a lifesaver and fixed a piece of who they are.” Bonner said the average consumer is not tech-savvy enough to repair his or her own devices. “They just would like to go to their laptop, push a button and search Facebook,” he said. “When something goes wrong, it’s better for me and for PC Masters not to have a person try to fix it,” he said. “I do this seven days a week and can look at a device with my eyes closed and can teach you how to do it,” he said. Bonner said continued grooming of PC Masters Tech’s reputation that will make it successful. “It’s listening to every customer and every person’s story,” he said. “We’re not saying basically, ‘Here are the set prices. If you don’t have the money, then too bad.’ It’s about my reputation, which is I can fix almost anything,” he said. “With that in mind, it is word of mouth that is the most important thing that will make my company a success,” he said.
Downtown presence
Anchoring the Lighthouse Coworks enterprise is Ellen B. Clark, co-founder of Lighthouse Coworks and concierge with Experience Oswego NY. “The idea is featuring different entrepreneurs and business people that each has their own niche in the community,” he said. Bonner has been given the reins to redo the Oswego Lighthouse Coworks company. “I’m rebuilding a great concept that just needs a different branding,” he said. Bonner enjoys the location at the corner of West First and Bridge streets in the city of Oswego. He recently hired two technicians, Brian Cox and Nelson Leach.
By Lou Sorendo 39
THE BUSINESS OF ART Oswego native, SUNY Oswego grad capitalizes on his artistic touch
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arry Grose knows the art of business. He also knows the business of art. Grose is the owner of Barry Grose Fine Art in Syracuse, and has cultivated his talents to the point where his works are appreciated on both an individual and commercial level. Grose, 54, is originally from Oswego. He has residences in both the Port City and Syracuse, where his studio is based. “Most people I went to business school with needed to go to art school. And most people I went to art school with needed to go to business school. I’ve done both,” he said. Grose earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration at SUNY Oswego and a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Chicago. He also attended The School of Art 40
Institute of Chicago. Grose realized he had potential as an artist after graduating with his MBA. Getting through that program was academically, physically and financially challenging for him. “When I graduated, it was the middle of a recession, and I couldn’t find a job anywhere, doing anything. To cheer myself up, I went to an art store and purchased some art supplies,” Grose said. “I painted my first painting on my lap, as I didn’t have an easel or desk. When some acquaintances stopped in, they saw the painting propped in the corner. Everyone said they liked it, and one person purchased it for a few hundred dollars, which helped me pay the rent and eat,” he said. “So one could say, ‘I went to business school, but I had to become an artist just for the money’,” Grose said with a laugh. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Port City product
In terms of influences, Grose credits the Oswego County community, SUNY Oswego and the natural beauty of the area, which he oftentimes depicts in his paintings. As a child, he attended the Campus School at SUNY Oswego, which counted education innovators like Willard Schum among its staff. This highly innovative laboratory school encouraged students toward creativity, he noted. “It was there that I first began to draw, as we were encouraged to do, in between classes. I continued studying art at Oswego High School under Jane Gallagher and Cathy O’Neill, both of whom were very talented and encouraging,” he said. “There were many other people who I think were positively impacted by this environment, including classmates Susan Hawkins AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
and Mary Caroccio, just to name a couple of people who continue to work in the arts.” Grose said he enjoys painting in acrylics, but also does photography and writes. His artwork includes flowers, word art, landscapes, seascapes and portraits. When did he realize his artwork has commercial appeal? “When I got the cash,” he said with a grin. “Seriously, I think being a part of art shows for commercial galleries made me realize that I was getting into the business. Working with business people who have financial objectives, budgets and an estimated return on investment prompted me to feel like I had some responsibility to get the art right,” he said. Grose said he typically tries to capture certain emotions, moods or feelings in his work. “When a viewer can pick up on that, and the feeling is resonant, that’s a good thing,” he added. Grose said he likes connecting with people on an emotional level through art. “That moment when we share a feeling or thought, perhaps saying, ‘Yes, I’ve been there. I feel that’,” he said. Grose said he is interested in the “dualities of experience and the dynamics of uncertainty,” including finding happiness through sadness, warmth when cold, and light amid darkness. He typically works with both composition and color palette to express
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
these concepts. “The trick is to create something that is interesting and engaging to look at, even after looking at it repeatedly,” he said. “I have had people who acquired work 10 or more years ago approach me and say they still enjoy their piece everyday. That’s a very satisfying experience for me.” “Everyone has his or her own process, but for me I hold myself to schedules. I am very good on execution quotient and follow through. When someone contacts me, I follow up promptly. When a client has a request, I set timelines and budgets, and I stick to it,” he said.
BUSINESS UPDATE
Art of the sale
In terms of his targeted demographic, Grose said people who acquire art typically are low key about it, preferring not to be too showy or consumptive. “I can tell you who doesn’t buy art. It’s the people who come to the show to drink all the wine and eat the hors d’oeuvres,” he said jokingly. Grose said quantifying a piece of art in terms of determining its value is a complex concept. “There are many books on the economics of the art market,” he said. “The first thing one must do, in my opinion, particularly with a client who is making a first-time acquisition, is come to a mutual understanding that we’re not laying tile in the bathroom,” he said. “The process, cost and outcome comprise some calculus that is outside
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
of routine ‘time and materials,’” he said. Grose said he is appreciative of those in this region and around the world who have his work, or express their enjoyment of it. He said several commercial establishments have expressed interest in buying and displaying his work. “I am quite sure my work does not have universal appeal. If it did, there would likely be something wrong,” he said in tongue-in-cheek fashion. “There are many who like my work, and plenty of others who have expressed how much they don’t like my work. Either way, I’m appreciative that people take the time to look.” Grose said servicing and showing respect for clients and customers is tantamount. “I think some literature and movies portray artists as wild, shambolic people with no boundaries or responsibility. But in reality, I think successful people in any area of the arts really have it together. To me, that means being highly communicative, accountable and having follow-through,” he said. “Some think of creating art by referencing a fun art project they had in school. I think working on a commercial level requires continuous professional focus and discipline,” he said. Among his hobbies, Grose enjoys skiing and biking.
By Lou Sorendo For more information, visit www.barrygrose.com, email barry@barrygrose.com or call 1-212-991-8660.
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SPECIAL REPORT By John Shambo
The Carr family recently moved into a home on West Fifth Street Road in the town of Oswego. They are, from left, Heather, Emily, Donald III and Donald IV.
A Newcomers’ View of Oswego The Carr family is revved up over new environs in Oswego Town
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eet Don Carr III and Heather Carr, high school sweethearts who recently decided to make the town of Oswego their home. Raising two children, the couple recently purchased a home at 773 county Route 25, otherwise known as West Fifth Street Road, in the town of Oswego, and is settling in the area. The couple has two children: a daughter, Emily, 4; and a son, Donald IV, who turned 1 in August. They purchased the home for $132,900. The ranch-style home, built in 1960, has about 1,900 square feet and features three bedrooms and 1.5 baths. Originally from Harpursville, the couple married a year after Don joined the service. “Right out of high school, I joined the Navy and was stationed on a submarine, the USS Providence, in Groton, Conn., as a nuclear-trained mechanic-chemist,”
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Carr said. Upon completing his service, Carr was offered a position at Exelon’s Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station in Scriba as an equipment operator. He took the position and the family rented a small townhouse in the city of Oswego for a year prior to finding and closing on their current home. “We desired the privacy and ability to make changes,” Carr said. “We both enjoy do-it-yourself projects, and that comes with home ownership.” “Our initial impression of the city is that it was a small, older town similar to what we grew up in,” Carr said. “As far as the surrounding area, we love being in a place where there are so many parks and outdoor activities that we can go do.” Some of those favorite destination points include Chimney Bluffs, Mexico Point, Salmon River Falls, and Breitbeck Park. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Quite selective
The couple was “extremely picky” when looking to purchase a home, Carr said. “We must have looked at around 20 houses before deciding on this one,” he said. “What really made this house was its location and condition of the home. It seemed like every home that was in really good condition that we looked at was either too far away from where I work, or had neighbors that were extremely close.” He said homes that were in “great locations” always seemed to be in disrepair “beyond what we were willing to invest,” Carr said. He noted his home is only a 20-minute drive to Nine Mile Point. “It’s out of the city and offers plenty of privacy at just over three acres,” he said. “Additionally, it has a huge back yard for our two children to grow up in,” he said. Other amenities that the family insisted on were a garage, a game room for Don, a sewing room for Heather, a formal dining room, and the right balance of being able to make do-it-yourself home improvements on a house that did not require major work. After moving in, the Carrs were welcomed by friendly neighbors armed with fresh-baked pies. “Our other neighbors introduced themselves with a homemade Bundt cake and snow-blowed our driveway for us while we were moving in,” Carr said. The couple commended the efforts of Florence Farley, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway who handled the transaction. “Flo was helpful in every aspect of the process, Carr said. “Her knowledge and networking contacts were amazing and she truly did take the stress out of buying the house.” Carr said the family was completely ready to close and waiting on the seller within two weeks after signing their offer contract. “We make it a point to recommend her and Berkshire-Hathaway to our friends who are in the market,” he said.
Tough time to move
Carr said the biggest challenge the family had moving occurred in late February of 2014, when cold temperatures and snow took center stage. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Insurance for families, business, farms throughout CNY
Together serving all of Central New York The Carr family resides at 773 county Route 25, otherwise known as West Fifth Street Road, in the town of Oswego. “The bitter cold and lake-effect snow was being true to its nature that year, unlike this year,” Carr said. “To make matters worse, we had not invested in a snow-blower yet because the prior year when we were renting in the city, it was a very mild winter. “Being from southern New York, we truly did not know what lake effect snow was like.” Purchasing a home often comes with surprises, which can be good or bad. Within six months of purchasing the home, the family had to replace the septic system. They also had a pleasant surprise when they removed old red-and-blue tie-dye shag carpet and found attractive hardwood floors underneath. DIY enthusiasts, the couple have rerouted the plumbing to feed their fish tank, put up a chain link fence, and replaced floors and counters. Heather and Don said the freedom to make these improvements is one of the best aspects of being homeowners. Carr said the real estate market for this region is “definitely a buyer’s market. Houses seem to be on the market for a long time.” However, their current home was only on the market for eight days. “With the [James A.] FitzPatrick nuclear power plant shutting down next year, I think the market is going to be flooded from the sequential loss of hundreds of good-paying jobs,” Carr said. The family enjoys the stability that comes with home ownership. Prior to purchasing the home, they moved six times in seven years. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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L. Michael Treadwell ooc@oswegocounty.org
OOC Honors Local Organizations, Businessmen
O Businesses and individuals recognized for significant contributions to economic development and job creation in Oswego County.
L. MICHAEL TREADWELL, CEcD, is executive director of Operation Oswego County based in Oswego.
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peration Oswego County (OOC) for being an active and involved supporter of honored three business organiza- the clean energy standard’s goal of reducing tions, a successful entrepreneur and greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent and a long-standing economic development increasing generation from clean and renewadvocate during its June 2 annual meeting able energy sources by 50 percent by 2030; for at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference its commitment to save the economic benefits Center in Oswego. of the nuclear plants operating in Upstate New n The Ally Award for 2016 was presented York, including Ginna in Wayne County, Nine to the Upstate Energy Jobs Coalition, in Mile Point and FitzPatrick in Oswego County recognition and appreciation of its out- that account for 25,000 direct and secondary standing contribution and dedication to jobs, that contribute annually $3.2 billion in preserving the economic benefits and envi- state GDP, $144 million in state and local tax ronmental benefits of the nuclear industry revenues and helps to avoid over 16 million in Oswego County and for Upstate New tons of CO2 emissions. York; for its formation of a diverse and n The Business Excellence Award for 2016 broad-based coalition of was presented to Univergovernment, business, sal Metal Works in recogniEconomic Trends labor, education and tion for demonstrating and economic development leaders throughout implementing a collaborative effort between Upstate New York who have supported and two industry leaders that has resulted in a emphasized the critical role that the nuclear significant economic development impact for power industry plays in being economic the city of Fulton and Oswego County; for engines that drive our communities; for its investing more than $2.4 million to expand the effort to have nuclear power recognized as Fulton plant by 20,000 square feet to accommoan integral component in the state’s clean date an expansion of Universal Metal Works energy standard as the most significant as well as providing space for Davis-Standard producer of carbon-free electricity by pro- to relocate its blow molding operations from viding over 61 percent of the state’s supply; New Jersey to Fulton; for improving efficiency
Nick Canale, COIDA board member/UEJ member; Barbara Bateman, OOC board president; Gary Toth, COIDA vice chairman/UEJ member; Ted Skerpon, IBEW 97 president and business manager/UEJ member; Carolyn Rush, COIDA chairwoman/UEJ member; and L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Barbara Bateman, OOC board president; Jim Meyers, UMW general manager; John Sharkey IV, UMW vice president; John Sharkey III, UMW president; and L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director. and expanding capacity and services for Universal Metal Works’ custom metal fabrication business that offers more than 300 years of combined fabrication experience; for its reputation for making products that are recognized industry wide for quality, strength and reliability; and for employing 25 people and doing business in Oswego County. n The 2016 Jobs Award, recognizing significant capital investment as well as job creation and retention, was presented to Eagle Beverage Co., Inc. in recognition and appreciation of its significant contribution and commitment to the Oswego County economy by constructing a new 62,000 square foot state-of-the-art distribution center in the town of Oswego to consolidate warehousing for its beverage distribution business for more than 30 different beverage suppliers that serve Cayuga, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego and Seneca counties; for investing over $5.6 million; for growing its workforce to 113 employees representing a 24 percent increase in jobs since 2012; for being a leader in its core business of beer distribution; and for the successful transition to the third generation of family ownership.
n Atom and Falecia Avery received OOC’s 2016 Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award in recognition and appreciation of exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and dedication to fostering economic, community and tourism growth in Oswego County through diverse real estate development activities; for transforming the former historic Knights of Columbus building in the city of Oswego into the Beacon Hotel, a 14-room boutique-style hotel; for redeveloping the former Black Walnut Inn in the town of Scriba into the All Seasons Inn; for partnering in the conversion of the former Loretto Health and Rehabilitation Center into The Gardens by Morningstar, a 106bed assisted living complex in the city of Oswego; for operating, since 1999, Avery Rental Properties providing housing for students, families and business professionals; for being the recipient of the U.S. SBA’s Small Business Excellence Award in 2014 for the Beacon Hotel; for being outstanding supporters of community events and programs such as Habitat for Humanity, Oswego Harborfest, Oswego Youth Hockey and the Oswego YMCA Skate Park; and for serving on the board
Barbara Bateman, OOC board president; Atom and Falecia Avery, owners of the Beacon Hotel; and L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Barbara Bateman, OOC board president; Thomas W. Schneider, president, Pathfinder Bank; and L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director. of directors of Oswego County Federal Credit Union and Oswego Health. • Thomas W. Schneider was honored with the 2016 Martin Rose Economic Developer Merit Award in recognition and appreciation of his outstanding record of exhibiting leadership, expertise, support and cooperation in helping to advance economic and community development efforts that have enhanced the business climate and quality of life in Oswego County and in Central New York; for his dedication and commitment serving in the financial services industry for 32 years; for serving as president and chief executive officer of Pathfinder Bank since 2000; for serving on numerous boards and organizations that are vital to economic development and the quality of life of the area such as past chairman of the New York Bankers Association and Oswego Health, past president of Springside at Seneca Hill, board member of the Shineman Foundation and WCNY; for serving on the Financial Services Committee for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and for being an adjunct professor at SUNY Oswego.
Barbara Bateman, OOC board president, Christian Morgia, Kevin Dorsey and Daniel Dorsey, Jr., co-owners, Eagle Beverage Co., and L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director.
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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COVER By Lou Sorendo
New Hotel Expresses Hospitality Holiday Inn Express & Suites adds to hospitality sector; first new major hotel built in Oswego in decades
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or many famous entrepreneurs, there is no time for a holiday. For developer Chris LaBarge, however, this is the time to put Holiday Inn in the express lane. He and his partners just did that recently by creating an 81-bed, four-story Holiday Inn Express & Suites along state Route 104 East in the city of Oswego. The total cost of the project is about $9.1 million. With the recent opening, LaBarge and his partners — who make up Branch Development Oswego LLC — are in a celebratory mood after overcoming several obstacles while establishing the Oswego hotel. His partners are Bruce, Brian and Chris Monette and Nathan Race. They all hail from Malone, which is where they established their first Holiday Inn Express & Suites. LaBarge, 47, said he is happy to overcome both rezoning and legal battles in order to establish the new site. He began the project in 2011. 46
It was a situation where the chosen property was not zoned commercial at the inception of the project. It was identified by the city of Oswego as planned for commercial use in the future, he said, but city planners failed to take the steps necessary to zone it accordingly. “You have to go through steps to get appropriate zoning in place, and that takes some time,” he said. “You have to understand that it can be an extremely slow process, which typically for rezoning of this nature is one to two years.” In addition, LaBarge had to go through litigation concerning the rezoning that slowed the project down considerably. “We’re extremely pleased that it’s done and proud to be here and a business partner in the city of Oswego,” he said. “Any community wants to see forward progress, and this was an opportunity to move to the next level,” he said. “Oswego has a lot of great assets and the traveling public is looking for a certain product as they travel. We had OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
an opportunity to meet that demand and provide what’s being looked for from the traveling public.”
From concept to reality
The Port City captured LaBarge’s attention in quite the random fashion prior to developing the concept of a new hotel. LaBarge, always on the alert for the next investment opportunity, said he was driving through Oswego one day on other business when the city caught his fancy. “I said to my partners, ‘We ought to take a look at this’,” LaBarge said. His team began to study the demand generators in Oswego from a business perspective and reached out to friends in Oswego for their thoughts. Among those demand generators are Oswego Speedway, Novelis, the nuclear power plants in Scriba, and the Port Authority of Oswego, the first U.S. port of call and deepwater port on the Great Lakes from the St. Lawrence Seaway. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Besides lake activity, LaBarge noted SUNY Oswego is a “massive generator,” particularly from a sporting events perspective. He said the Port City also features a solid business community with many yearly events. Harborfest remains one of Oswego’s crown jewels in terms of summer tourism. “We looked at the community and asked, ‘what does it offer from a hotel perspective? They’ve got some product here but it’s aged a bit. Is that meeting the expectations and demands of the traveling public?’” Upon further research, the team ascertained that a significant number of people coming to Oswego on business ended up staying in the North Syracuse or Cicero areas in Onondaga County because of a lack of hospitality rooms to support their needs in the Oswego community. After determining it might present an opportunity, LaBarge and his team did a feasibility study using a third-party independent agency to help validate their opinion. “That gave us the ability to move forward,” he said.
Financial incentives
Branch Development Oswego was granted loans and tax incentives for its Holiday Inn Express & Suites by the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency. The IDA provided two loans totaling $350,000 to be used for machinery, equipment and furnishings for the hotel project. It also approved a payment-in-lieuof-taxes schedule that gives the company tax exemptions on a sliding scale over a 20-year period. “When you put a project together of this size, there’s always uncertainty. It takes a partnership to bring a project of this nature to the local community. It’s a public-private partnership, and that’s how those incentives come into play,” LaBarge said. He said the incentives are “extremely favorable” when seeking funding sources. “The financial institutions ask, ‘How are you going to mitigate some of these excessive costs from a startup perspective?’” He said by partnering with the county’s IDA and the city’s Community Development Office, the team was able AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Chris LaBarge, one of five principals at Branch Development Oswego LLC, which owns and operates the new Holiday Inn Express in Oswego. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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The new Holiday Inn Express at 140 E. 13th St. in Oswego.
to negotiate the incentives needed. LaBarge said the assistance “helped get our feet on the ground solidly. “At the end of the day with any new business, we have to be successful or it’s not good for the community.” LaBarge said a multiplier effect takes place when guests stay overnight at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites. “They are going to be spending two to three times more [than hospitality costs] in the local area eating at restaurants, buying gas and visiting one of the venues such as the racetrack or taking a fishing tour,” he said. LaBarge said his team is bringing additional revenue into the community that’s going to create an influx of additional tax dollars. “I think sometimes people overlook that component of it. Yes, we did get incentives. But we are putting people’s heads in beds, and they are going to be spending money here that’s all taxable in the city of Oswego,” he noted.
Business and pleasure
LaBarge said the demographic
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
COVER that Holiday Inn Express & Suites is attempting to reach is a combination of the business and leisure traveler. For the business traveler, there’s the Lifestyle Lounge complete with large tables and high-top desks that have wireless access. In fact, the business traveler can place cell phones atop the table to recharge. On the flip side, amenities are featured for the leisure traveler. Holiday Inn Express has created an indoor and outdoor experience, from a patio and fire pit outside where people can relax, to the oversized pool and spa that is not typical of a Holiday Inn Express & Suites. “Because of the market in Oswego with business, leisure travel and sporting events, there is a need for some of these additional amenities. That’s a couple of areas that we have upgraded from the standard prototype,” he said. As a real estate broker, LaBarge has considerable experience in commercial and residential development. LaBarge and his partners have both new housing and commercial development experience. “You have to be familiar with the whole approval process,” said LaBarge, noting his team also had to go through the same rigorous rezoning process in Malone. They got the necessary approvals in the middle of a recession. He credits his banking partners — Community Bank and Pathfinder Bank — with “stepping up and participating with us in the worst economy we’ve had in some 20 years” in 2009, he said. “We were able to move that project forward and it has been a successful one, so when it came time to come into the city of Oswego, those partnerships continued forward,” he added. LaBarge said the Malone experience has considerably aided his hotel project in Oswego. “The first one is really challenging. It’s a very steep learning curve,” he said. He said there is a lot of detail to complete the project. “There’s a lot of pieces to the puzzle that ultimately have to come together,” he said. “It’s a lot of hours of work to pull it all together.” Critical to the success of the project is the team that is assembled, he said, including construction management, furniture, fixtures and equipment speAUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
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COVER cialists, architects and engineers. “It’s the team that you assemble — that base team — that ultimately helps bring success to a project,” he said. “It’s not one person.” There’s the initial zoning, bank financing, construction and finishing work. “It’s that team that ultimately delivers the end product,” LaBarge said.
‘Sense of pride’
LaBarge said he gains a sense of pride and accomplishment in regards to the “feel good” aspect of constructing a new hotel.
He said Malone had not seen new hotel construction in 30 years and for Oswego, it had been more than a quarter century. “Knowing the challenges that we went through, when you finally get there and it’s the day of opening, there is an extreme sense of pride that says, ‘We brought something amazing to this particular community.’” LaBarge and his team are not done expanding their presence in New York state. “We’ve been looking for some time. We want to continue to move forward,”
said LaBarge, noting his team is focusing on the Greater Syracuse area as well as the Capital Region south to Westchester. “We have several properties that we are considering for development,” he said. “We’re hoping between now and the end of the year that we’re going to secure a property that we can actually start moving forward in terms of the approval process.”
New Age of Hospitality Local hotelier takes advantage\ of electronic era
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he computer age touches every aspect of the business world, including the hospitality sector. Chris LaBarge, the entrepreneur who is spearheadeding the development of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Oswego, said online marketing is the key driver in terms of generating hotel traffic. There are the standard franchise websites from Holiday Inn and the InterContinental Hotel Group, the parent company of Holiday Inn. Online travel agencies are another way to help people find hotels. Such sites include Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz and KAYAK. Holiday Inn Express & Suites attempts to establish and continue strong visibility in terms of those sites. “As your guests come in, they have to have an awesome guest experience because that is what drives additional visibility on the Internet,” the Malone resident said. “People look at those online comments to discover what type of an experience did the guest have,” LaBarge said. “Were they greeted in a friendly manner at the front desk? Was it a warm, inviting welcome when they first arrived? Was their room clean? Did they have a good breakfast experience? Were the bed and pillows comfortable? Did they have a good shower experience? All those
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
COVER
One of several wired lounges at the Noliday Inn Express. things make for a great guest experience. “With that, you have the opportunity to receive good online comments so that other people will view that, and it will drive additional reservations.” The use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter complements the online websites, LaBarge said, and is an effective way to actively engage with potential customers as well. He said in today’s marketplace, Holiday Inn Express & Suites is a highly recognizable name in the industry as a whole. He also applauds a rewards point system based on membership for business or leisure travelers that allows them free nights. “That a big driver in the business and leisure travel market,” LaBarge said.
Speedway connection
The hotel entrepreneur, who along with his partners at Branch Development Oswego LLC have another Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Malone, has racing roots in the Port City. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
LaBarge’s uncle, Phil Taylor, was a car owner at Oswego Speedway with his brother William “Billy” Taylor as the builder and manager. Geoff Bodine, the 1986 Daytona 500 winner, and Richie Evans, NASCAR Hall of Famer and modified legend, both drove for Phil’s Chevrolet-sponsored crew back in the 1980s. LaBarge’s primary business is managing a field staff and call center to support diagnostics for the automotive industry. LaBarge earned a degree in automotive and business management at Western Michigan University. He and his wife Beverly Peryea LaBarge own and operate Peryea LaBarge Real Estate in Malone, and focus on doing residential and commercial real estate. He and his wife are celebrating 30 years of marriage. Beverly also owns an Allstate Insurance office. Besides the two hotels, each of his partners has additional businesses. The Monettes own Adirondack Energy, OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Titus Family Ski Center, Mountain Mart Convenience Stores, a Polaris dealership, and a DQ Grill and Chill franchise. Race is an attorney who owns and manages Race Law Firm. “We have a very diversified partnership that brings vast experience. We each have our own area of expertise when it comes to the hotel business,” he said. LaBarge, a member of The Elks Lodge, enjoys snowmobiling, and did upwards of 10,000 miles in a single season while traversing along areas such as the edge of the Labrador Sea. He also enjoys boating and Jetskiing in the summer. A true entrepreneur, LaBarge said in many instances, work is “a lot of fun for me. It’s projects like this [the Oswego Holiday Inn Express & Suites] that are a bit like a hobby because we have other full-time jobs. “We fit this in as part of that fun time. It’s stressful, but fun on the other hand.” The couple has four Newfoundlands. “We have a full family, but some members have four legs,” he said. 51
SPECIAL REPORT Plans are underway for a new 209-room hotel at Destiny USA in Syracuse.
By Aaron Gifford
Syracuse Area
Sees Surge of New, Renovated Hotels At least 10 new or renovated hotels will increase number of rooms in Syracuse area by more than 1,300
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o an outsider, it would seem there’s a huge surplus of hotel rooms for a medium-sized rust belt city in an area that was never considered a vacation destination. In Onondaga County alone, there are about 7,000 rooms. Of that total, 1,500 are considered “committable” or available for booking in large blocks for events or gatherings, according to Visit Syracuse.
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The long list of hotels that have recently opened or are about to open includes two at Carrier Circle — the 101-room Homewood Suites, and the 96-room Hampton Inn and Suites. There is also Aloft at the inner harbor (132 rooms), the Marriot in downtown Syracuse (261 rooms, formerly Hotel Syracuse), the Hampton Inn of Cazenovia (just outside of Onondaga County, 80 rooms), the Fairfield Inn and Suites (108 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
rooms at future Carrier Circle location), and an Extended Stay in downtown Syracuse (120 rooms). And looking long-term, plans are well underway for a 123-room Element hotel at the inner harbor, a 209-room hotel at Destiny USA mall, and a 78room Home 2 Suites at Carrier Circle, according to Visit Syracuse. The average occupancy rate for AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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New Hotels in the Syracuse Area Name
# of Rooms
Location
101
Carrier Circle
96
Carrier Circle
Aloft
132
Marriot
261
Syracuse Inner Harbor Downtown Syracuse
Homewood Suites Hampton Inn and Suites
(formerly Hotel Syracuse)
Hampton Inn of Cazenovia Fairfield Inn and Suites
80
Cazenovia
108
Carrier Circle
Extended Stay
120
Element Hotel
123
Downtown Syracuse Syracuse Inner Harbor
Destiny USA
209
Destiny USA
78
Carrier Circle
Home 2 Suites
Syracuse area hotels is currently 60 percent, and there is a strong demand for new and improved facilities, Visit Syracuse reported. “There is a demand for more rooms. Travelers and meeting planners want new and refreshing accommodation options,” said Nikita Jankowski, Visit Syracuse’s communications manager. “Building new hotels and accommoda-
tions forces older lodging facilities to maintain their properties to remain competitive. This is a national trend. They are not just competing with Onondaga County, but with destinations throughout New York state and across the nation. The new product will create the demand and will increase occupancy.” Visit Syracuse’s mission is to bring business to Onondaga County. Much of
that business includes events, conventions and just about any type of gathering that benefits local hotels. “During these discussions,” Jankowski said, “we have to show that our area has the quality and quantity of rooms to accommodate the maximum number of prospected attendees to even be considered as a host destination.” Tracey Burkey, Visit Syracuse’s vice president of sales, says with an abundance of modernized hotels, groups that had not considered holding events in Central New York in the past are now considering the area. “Many of the planners are now taking another look at our regions,” she said, “due to all of the new development.” Jankowski added that hotel developers have done feasibility studies and determined that the Marriott and Aloft are among the brands that event planners look for. There are many events that bring visitors to Syracuse. The Syracuse Nationals car expo, the Great New York State Fair and Syracuse University football and basketball games are among the most popular draws here, but more recently big name rock, hip hop, and country acts at the new Lakeview Amphitheater have made Syracuse a popular place during the warmer months. The expansion of Destiny USA mall in recent years along with Onondaga Lake’s remediation project and the subsequent inner-harbor development projects have created a tourism boom here, developers say. “The Syracuse area is undergoing tremendous economic development,
New Hotels at a Glance Here’s a snapshot of some of the other recent hotel projects: •The restored Hotel Syracuse, now called the Marriott Syracuse, reopened Aug. 15 after a 12 year-hiatus. The restoration of the 92-year-old building was led by owner Ed Riley, who developed hotels in Boston before returning home to Central New York for this $70 million project. About $30 million of the project is funded by public grants and tax credits. Most of the hotel’s furnishings were supplied by two local furniture companies, Stickley, of Manlius, and Harden, of McConnellsville. 54
• The Element Inner Harbor Syracuse hotel is scheduled to open in early 2018 as part of massive redevelopment efforts along the barge canal that included the Aloft project. The Element hotel will have a 24-hour fitness center, an outdoor pool, and a 750-square-foot meeting room. Element also lends bicycles to guests who want to explore the area. •The Hilton Home 2 Suites at Carrier Circle will occupy the site of the former Howard Johnson hotel, which dated back to the 1960s and had remained closed for more than a decade before the town and the hotel developer OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
moved forward with demolition plans. A completion date has not been announced. • The Hampton Inn and Suites on July 1 became the first hospitality chain to open a hotel in Cazenovia. The four-story facility includes a 5,000-square-foot area that can be used for banquets, business gatherings or other types of events. Project funding included a $1.3 million from the New York State Regional Economic Development Council and tax breaks from the Madison County Industrial Development Agency.
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and with that development comes the demand for more lodging,” said Mike Fults, general manager of Aloft Inner Harbor. “We’re excited to bring Starwood brands to the area, and at the same time provide visitors with a central location to downtown, Destiny USA, the Lakeview Amphitheater and Syracuse University.” The Aloft hotel opened July 12. The facility includes a splash pool and 690 square feet of flexible meeting space that can be used for business or social gatherings. The hotel at Destiny, projected to cost $48 million, is now scheduled to open by fall 2017 at the southeast corner of Hiawatha Boulevard West and Solar Street. Destiny USA executive David Aitken said the location is ideal not just because of its connection with the mall, which tallies about 25 million visits a year according to him, but also its close proximity to Hancock International Airport, downtown Syracuse and Syracuse University. It is also a reasonable distance from the Finger Lakes. “From our perspective,” he said, “Central New York has continued to see growth. People come here for so many things — vacations, shopping, entertainment, sports, dining.” Across town, at Carrier Circle, the Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites project is on track to open in October. It’s located across the street from the Marriott Spring Hill Suites, which caters mostly to business travelers, said the developer, Peter Muserlian of the Pempco Group. Since the Marriott Spring Hill Suites opened in 2010, Muserlian learned that there was a need there for “hybrid” hotels that offered both business class and leisure class accommodations. The new facility will include three meeting rooms, one of which can hold up to 50 people. “It’s about the flag and the business reward point,” Muserlian said, adding that many of the hotels in Carrier Circle were built in the 1980s. “Marriott needs new hotels out there. The demand was there, but the products aged out.” With the surge of hotel construction or renovations in Carrier Circle, downtown Syracuse and the inner harbor, Muserlian said, it’s hard to imagine that the area could support additional hotels beyond the scope of what is already planned. “I think we’re at the peak,” he said. “This is it. If it can support any more, that remains to be seen.”
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Hampton Inn of Cazenovia just outside of Onondaga County.
Fairfield Inn and Suites at Carries Circle.
Element Hotel at Syracuse Inner Harbor.
Aloft Hotel at Syracuse Inner Harbor.
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ads?
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
TOURISM
Special opening page Report coming
The new Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse. Photo by Chuck Wainwright AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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TOURISM SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
TOURISM TRENDS TANTALIZING CNY region sees higher number of visitors, more tourism-related jobs
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entral New York is emerging as a heavyweight, continuing to grow as a tourism destination. David Holder, president of the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau, said tourism in Central New York in 2014 generated $1.1 billion in annual travel spending and employed about 25,000 workers across a region that includes Oswego, Cayuga, Madison, Cortland and Onondaga counties. “It’s a pretty important piece of the local economy,” he said. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the total economic impact of New York state’s tourism industry in 2014 reached an all-time high of $100.1 billion. Historic investments in the tourism industry have generated job growth and an increase in visitors to New York, making it the most-visited state by overseas travelers for the 14th year in a row. Holder said employment within the tourism sector has been steadily increasing. “It’s probably the one private sector component that has seen steady increases not only over the last five years, but since the early stages of the recession in 2008,” he said. 58
Armory Square is part of the Syracuse downtown area, known for its variety of dining and drinking options. The area also features an array of shopping destinations.
He said tourism is a good gauge of how well the local economy is doing overall. “When tourism employment is going up, usually that means other industries are hiring as well,” he said. As a tourism advocate, Holder said there is always more promoters can do and always a need for greater levels of marketing and funding. “In terms of ability to compete, we’ve gotten more competitive as a region,” he said. In 2014, out of all Upstate New York cities, Syracuse had the second-highest growth rate. Albany was first thanks to its emerging nanotech industry and chip-manufacturing sector. “A big portion of that is the change that’s been brought about by Destiny USA,” Holder said. “We just completed some research this past year and as a region created the most comprehensive visitor profile we’ve ever had as a tourism area,” he said. “That research clearly showed Syracuse and Central New York are by far leisure destinations.” Holder said CNY has formulated enough travel-related product and OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
attractiveness where people are going there for vacations and weekend getaways. “There’s a truly demonstrative change in the way our community has been viewed,” said Holder, noting in the past it was seen as more of a destination for business travelers and convention-goers. “We’re still that, but we’ve added this important layer of being able to truly wear the hat of a vibrant destination,” he added.
Exciting new venue
The new Lakeview Amphitheater, an outdoor concert venue located on the shores of Onondaga Lake, is already making its mark on the regional tourism sector. Holder said when the Landmark Theatre opened several years ago in downtown Syracuse, it gave tourism experts a “great introductory case study for what could happen with a vibrant Lakeview Amphitheater. “When we have attractive, compelling performances come into town, it actually drives up the number of out-of-town visitors to take in those AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
performances,” he said. When the award-winning hit musical “Jersey Boys” was featured at the Landmark Theatre, 30 percent of the total audience base was from Canada. That show, incidentally, is coming back for a Sept. 15-18 engagement. “With the Canadian dollar being weaker right now, we’re not going to see that same level of impact with the Amphitheater,” he said. However, a significant impact has already been made by the new venue in Geddes. When the Dave Matthews Band played at the amphitheater on June 22, Holder said hotel occupancy was up 13 percent over the same night the previous year. Meanwhile, revenue per available room — which is a solid standard of measure that looks at both how full hotels are and also what they are charging and able to get for a room — was up almost 22 percent. “The economic impact of the amphitheater was calculated based on the facility hosting 12 to 13 events in its first year,” Holder said. “The schedule is on pace for 22 events.” “It really is one of a kind,” he said. Holder compared it to other success-
ful amphitheater projects, such as Red Rocks in Colorado where the audience is seated in the mountains and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center that features a forested landscape. “I think what we’re seeing right now with the amphitheater is that from a spectator’s viewpoint, you really get a sense that this is a lakefront community in the heart of a region that has water as its core,” Holder said. “What a great statement that makes for our region.”
Roll out the barrels
While continual development of Destiny USA, the Syracuse Inner Harbor and Oswego’s waterfront are significant, another tourism-related attraction is drawing attention. The growth of the craft beverage movement is taking off in Central New York, and it is readily apparent at the new Empire Farmstead Brewery in Cazenovia. “It is truly a landmark that definitely reshapes some of the messaging and image of Central New York,” Holder said. “It’s already got appeal, and we’ve been actually promoting it to tour groups out of China because of the Chinese business connections that Empire Brewing has been able to put into place.”
Holder said the craft beverage movement will result in more visitors from China, and that ties in well with Central New York-based educational facilities such as Syracuse University. “Around 10 percent of the student population at Syracuse University is originally out of China,” Holder said. “It’s a really strange, kind of connected tourism product, but it’s definitely a marketplace that five years ago, we wouldn’t have been competing for,” he said. Another growing destination point is Armory Square in downtown Syracuse. It has the highest concentration of bars and restaurants in the Syracuse area and features a lively nightlife. “Armory Square has definitely become the center point of the city of Syracuse,” Holder said. He said visitors to the area often talk about how compelling it is and how they wish they had a similar vibrant entertainment district in their own hometowns. “It’s really done a whole lot to recapture people’s fancy and turn them on to what a Central New York destination project really is,” he said. The same growth trend is seen in Auburn and the Finger Lakes Musical
A recent show at the Lakeview Amphitheater. The venue is expected to host 22 shows in its first year.
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Theatre Festival. “It’s a summer-long event that takes place and draws people. It still has tremendous growth potential,” he said. “Those kinds of things are definitely taking off.”
Revved up for CNYRP
Meanwhile, the prospects surrounding the new Central New York Raceway Park in Hastings are creating excitement on the regional tourism scene. “We’re really excited about what the raceway could bring,” Holder said. “The question is will it move along at the pace needed to get where it needs to be this year?” An event slated for Aug. 20 — the AMA Pro Flat Track Series — has already been moved to Rolling Wheels Raceway due to construction delays at CNYRP. It is scheduled to host Super DIRT Week in October. CNYRP owner Glenn Donnelly said recently that vital state funding has yet to be secured, considerably slowing down the project. David Holder, president of the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau, winds up to throw Holder said under Cuomo’s leadership, there are the first pitch at a recent Syracuse Chiefs’ baseball game at NBT Bank Stadium. “many different funding pots that can be accessed now through noting the region should build around times easier and less costly for a New these competitive regional grants. The the whole concept of winter tourism and York City resident to actually go to the challenge with many of those are they are embrace the opportunities. Caribbean than it is for them to get into reimbursables, and you have to spend “It also changes a lot of local percep- Central New York. money in order to get money.” tion in terms of how dreary and bland “When we think of it from that The reimbursement process, how- winter seems to be,” he said. “Winter perspective, we’ve seen growth out of ever, “can take forever,” he said. is a vibrant time for us and it’s an area the Boston and Philadelphia markets. “There are challenges with the way where we get the most celebrity charm.” Both markets are without a whole lot of the system is set up, but without the sys“What else is the Weather Channel investment being made. So what haptem being in place — whether it involves talking about us all the time?” he asked. pens if we actually threw some dollars Empire State Development and certainly into those two arenas and we see a true on the state level across Gov. Cuomo’s uptick in terms of actual visitation being administration — without these pots of Where are visitors coming from? generated?” Holder said Central New York gets money, think how few of these projects Meanwhile, Holder characterizes a lot of in-state visitation, particularly the three-to-four-hour drive market as would be moving forward at the speed from New York City, which always has highly saturated and mature. that they are?” Holder said tourism leaders are been one of the region’s top markets. “They know our product, have vis“One of the things our consumer ited our product and are going to visit starting to look at different auto clubs and events that can support the new research unveiled is as much as New again. We don’t have to do a whole lot York City is always going to be a major to drive them. Our next step is really racing and entertainment facility. Holder said one of CNY’s best-kept marketplace for us just based on its taking the brand presence and moving secrets is its “untapped” winter season. population, it’s a major marketplace it outside that three-to-four hour dis“Our whole winter marketplace that has challenges in terms of being tance which Boston and Philadelphia is vastly under-visited,” said Holder, able to deliver visitors here. It’s some- fit heavily into,” he added. 60
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Q A & with
Troy Waffner By Matthew Liptak
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7 Questions to the New York State Fair Director
roy Waffner is the acting director of New York State Fair. He calls the fair a “mini-economic engine.” He says, “We ourselves employ 1,200 people, not to mention the employees contracted by our contractors who do the grounds cleanup, plus the employees who are hired by the vendors themselves.” The event will take place from Aug. 25 to Sept. 5. It draws more than 1 million people, generating more than $100 million in direct and indirect revenue, according to officials
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— What keeps people coming back to the New York State Fair each year? I think each person is different. I think you have a large segment of the fair-goers who come for tradition. It’s something they grew up doing. It’s something they still enjoy doing. They come. They eat their sausage sandwich. They see the animals and they see a concert, more because they’re here than because they’re the concert-going crowd. Then you have the people who come a little more sporadically. It’s not their tradition, but they come for the latest fair food or they come to watch a concert on Chevy Court — one of the 23 different acts. They come for the lime slushy and the social aspects of it. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
“I think this year more than ever represents the most significant change the state fair has seen in a 100 years because of the changes we’ve made on the grounds.” Then you have a group of people who come. It’s their first time to the fair. Those are the ones I always say if they come once they’ll keep coming because how can you come to the fair and not enjoy the organized chaos? It’s an all-five-senses type of thing. All five senses are abused from the time you get here. It’s a great sensation to come here and just walk around.
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— Where do people come from when they attend the state fair? The majority, somewhere probably around 50 percent, come from the greater Syracuse area, but we draw from all over Upstate New York — from Watertown and Plattsburgh on down to south of Albany. We have some presence from out of state as well.
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— What’s new at the fair this year? The biggest thing that’s new is last year the governor allocated $50 million for us to redo the fairgrounds so we’ve taken down the grandstand. We’ve taken out the track. From there we’ve built a new main gate that’s reminiscent of the original main gate. It’s a stone and arch structure. We built a new, much bigger midway and kiddie-land. We built vendor areas. We’ve added a lot of landscaping, street-scaping, grass, various accouterments fair-goers like. And we’ve added a new RV park, both for vendors who come to the fair, but we actually attract a large number of people who take two weeks and spend their vacation. I’m very satisfied. Recently we had the first big test with the Syracuse Nationals, the car show, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. People liked it. It’s a much more open area. When we took out the track we opened up about 63 acres of land which we turned into the kiddie-land, the midway, the vendor area, an area known as the ‘New York Experience,’ which will not be open for this year’s fair because we have a little more work to do on it. It’ll be open for the 2017 season. It’s just going to be a better pedestrian flow, a better layout for vendors and out entertainment. I think it’s going to be positive all the way 61
around. It will be much less congested. Everybody says I don’t go to the fair because I hate crowds. You’re not going to feel as crowded this year.
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— What’s the economic impact of the state fair? The economic impact of the state fair is above $100 million. We draw about one million people. We have 600 vendors. We ourselves employ 1,200 people, not to mention the employees contracted by our contractors who do the grounds cleanup, plus the employees who are hired by the vendors themselves. We’re a mini-economic engine when we’re here for those 12 days. I would say the vast majority of it stays locally. Our operating budget is about $15 million a year to put the fair on and we spend almost all of that locally as well.
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— How much work is it to put the state fair together each year? We’ll start planning for the 2017 fair just as the 2016 fair is ending. We have about 40 full-time annual
employees. A lot of them work in maintenance, keeping the place functioning the other 50 weeks a year. The team that puts together the state fair is probably less than a dozen.
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— What’s your favorite part of the state fair? That’s like asking a parent to choose their favorite son. My favorite part of the fair is, it’s not a theme park. If I want to go to a theme park I can go to Darien Lake or Thunder Island. The state fair you come to see is like a piece of Americana. We have the rides and the great concerts and the food, but you can come and you can still wander around and see the kids competing with their animals, and go into the youth building and see the amazing robotics that some of these kids are doing. That’s kind of my favorite part. Unfortunately as part of my job I spend all two weeks of the fair on the ground [working]. I’m like a true carny.
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— Why should folks come out to the state fair this year? I think this year more than ever represents the most significant change the state fair has seen in a 100 years because of the changes we’ve made on the grounds. I think when you couple that with the things everybody loves about the fair with the animals, and the youth exhibits and the food, then we have 23 great acts on Chevy Court, we allow you to bring in your own food if you don’t want to spend money when you get here—you can sit here and enjoy the entire day here with us. I’m very excited. Working here has been a tough last 12 months getting to this point, but I think it’s exciting and I think it’s exciting to see how it comes out. We have a bigger midway, which means they’re going to have 10 additional rides. You’re also just going to allow for bigger aisles and more openness. We have more seating areas — all those things fair-goers have wanted for a number of years. I think it’s going to be good fair. If the weather cooperates we’re going to be golden.
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Member FDIC
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
TOURISM SPECIAL REPORT
By Carol Thompson
Marine Sanctuary Status Could Boost Local Economy City of Oswego could be the central hub and center point for the sanctuary
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National marine sanctuary status could give Oswego County a substantial economic boost. National marine sanctuaries — or NMS — areas are designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for research, education and protection. NMS areas can only be designated for underwaAUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
ter, submerged areas within the ocean or Great Lakes waters. These are sites that contribute unique ecological, cultural, aesthetic or recreational resources of national significance. They are selected for their opportunity to advance marine science, education and conservation that support OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
ecologic, economic, subsistence and traditional uses. Examples of such resources include historic shipwrecks, critical underwater habitats for fish or maritime sites of cultural importance. Of the 14 designated areas within the NMS system, 13 are located in ocean areas. Only one site is designated on the Great Lakes — the Thunder Bay NMS on Lake Huron in Alpena, Mich. There are some misconceptions about the potential sanctuary, said Jeanie Gleisner, program manager for the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board. “There will be no added regulations. It’s not regulated 63
like a national park. That’s the number one concern we hear.” The sanctuary would not impact fishing, boating or other water recreational activities, Gleisner said. A proposal is being written by a task force comprised of members from Oswego, Jefferson, Cayuga and Wayne counties, which would collectively make up the marine sanctuary. Designation of a NMS is a twostep process. Nominating a site is the first step. Public involvement from a wide variety of interests and groups is essential to a successful nomination. The nomination must meet federally required criteria and have broad public support before it is accepted by NOAA. “It has huge potential,” Gleisner said. “It’s not just sunken ships that draws people. It’s the natural environment.” NOAA supports all types of activities, including underwater research
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programs. They have marine science programming that could impact SUNY Oswego and local schools would have opportunities for educational programs. “The potential the marine sanctuary brings to this community is extraordinary as it can have a gigantic impact financially,” Mayor Billy Barlow said. “The marine sanctuary would provide us the opportunity to attract folks from all over the world to visit Lake Ontario and take advantage of the sanctuary, obviously creating a spill-over effect into our local economy. Should the sanctuary take place, it is my hope that the city of Oswego will be the central hub and center point for the sanctuary. Our community would greatly benefit from such an opportunity.” The marine sanctuary would run along 193 miles of shoreline in a region that includes 15 state parks and historic sites, as well as two state
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
and nationally designated shipwrecks and potentially 77 additional historic vessels and aircraft. Officials are hoping that if the quad-county area is selected, the economic impact will rival that of Thunder Bay. It is estimated that Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary on Lake Huron annually generates in excess of $100 million to the regional economy and supports more than 1,500 jobs. The visitor center for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a major tourism destination for the region, hosting approximately 60,000 visitors annually. Gleisner said they should know within a year if the proposal is accepted, and if so, it would take another year to 18 months to be operational. More information about the proposal can be found at www.lakeontarionms.com. Gleisner said the website answers many questions and clears up any misconceptions people may have.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Oswego County Legislature Chairman Kevin Gardner and County Administrator Phil Church review a map of the proposed marine sanctuary that would encompass a four-county area.
Public Can Help Turn Lake Ontario into a Sanctuary By Phil Church
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t is important to understand what a marine sanctuary is and what it could mean for our communities and industries. National marine sanctuary (NMS) areas are designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for research, education and protection. Protection does not mean off limits. NMS promotes responsible use and access. Other areas with an NMS designation have experienced significant spin-off economic growth resulting from new research, education and marine technology efforts.
The proposed Great Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary consists of a region that is one of the most historically significant geographic locations in the Great Lakes and North America. This area of Lake Ontario and its tributaries provided food and transportation trade routes for indigenous peoples and early European explorers. During the colonial period, it was a strategic theater of conflict among European powers and the young American republic. Later, this region was critical to the development of the American west and our nation’s in-
dustrial core and the westward spread of democracy. The area has also served as a location of maritime innovation and invention, and was crucial in the agricultural expansion of the 19th century. Within the nomination area there are 18 shipwrecks and one aircraft whose locations are known. Contemporary vessel loss reports and news reports indicate that an additional 51 shipwrecks and two historic aircraft may rest within the nomination area. Of those known shipwrecks, one, theSt. Peter, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and another, the David W. Mills, is a New York State Submerged Cultural Preserve and Dive Site. It is likely that several more of the known shipwrecks are eligible for listing, such as the Queen of the Lakes and Three Brothers. The proposed Great Lake Ontario NMS will be focused solely on “submerged cultural resources,” such as shipwrecks, aircraft and archaeological sites. The proposed NMS will not establish regulations on commercial and recreational fishing, shoreline development or commercial shipping, nor establish fees or new restrictions on recreational diving. Support for this project has been overwhelming. We’ve received close to 200 written endorsements from throughout the region and state, including businesses, economic development agencies, schools, universities, museums and historical societies, local governments, recreational organizations and councils, and individuals. Phil Church is Oswego County administrator. He is also the National Marine Sanctuary Task Force Chairman.
Making the Sanctuary a Reality. How You can Help The public can write letters supporting the idea of turning Lake Ontario into a national marine sanctuary. If you want to support the effort, write a letter to: • NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program Attn: John Armor, Acting Director, Office of Marine Sanctuaries 1305 East-West Highway, 11th Floor Silver Spring, MD 20910 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
• Office of the Oswego County Administrator Attn: Philip Church, NMS Task Force Chairman 46 East Bridge Street Oswego, NY, 13126
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TOURISM SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
A ROARING SUCCESS IN
CENTRAL SQUARE Lioness Club continues to nurture annual apple festival, which now draws more than 20,000 people
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he lion symbolizes strength, courage and leadership. The Lioness Club of Central Square, through its annual apple festival, symbolizes humanitarianism and good will. The club will present its 33rd annual Apple Festival Sept. 23-25 at Brewerton Speedway on U.S. Route 11 in Central Square. The event features amusements rides, food, arts and crafts, several bands and other attractions. Organizers expect more than 20,000 people to attend the event this year. Lions International chartered the Lioness Club of Central Square on May 17, 1984. “As a new club, we needed fundraisers to support our mission projects,” said Ellen Ellison Sykes, director of the club. “We brainstormed potential ideas, and decided on an apple festival. New York ranks second in the country in apple production behind Washington state. “We wanted to host a fall event,
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and apples are a great New York state product that are grown locally,” she said. Sykes said the club was hoping it would become an annual event. “But I don’t think any of us envisioned what it is today,” she said. “We try to have a well-organized festival that brings our community together each fall.” After no longer being able to use Goettel Community Park in the village of Central Square, the club researched potential locations. With the assistance of the town of Hastings, it was able to secure a new home at Brewerton Speedway on Route 11 in 2012. In addition, Glenn Donnelly, developer of the neighboring CNY Raceway Park, allowed the club to use his property for off-street parking. “These factors, combined with the support we receive from our sponsors and community organizations, have been the key to our longevity,” Sykes said. The apple festival benefits the local OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
community from an economic development standpoint, Sykes said. Out-of-town vendors and festival guests utilize area hotels, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores. “The apple festival increases the visibility of vendors and organizations that are represented at the festival,” she noted. “It also enhances the community’s image because the festival has been very successful for so many years.” Sykes noted that Oswego County features several apple producers. Marketing and word of mouth promote the festival as an agritourism event and helps raise visibility for apple producers, she said.
Fun to the core
The apple festival has many attractions that appeal to all age groups. The most popular attractions are a variety of crafters and vendors, amusement and pony rides, wood carving and live bands that are sponsored by AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Reymore Chevrolet. Additionally, fest-goers enjoy the variety of free entertainment acts at the Lyons Dentistry stage, the Miss Apple Festival contest, and the Woolly Worm races that are run by Oswego County Pioneer Search and Rescue. Many visitors come specifically to enjoy the apple fritters that are freshly made by the Central Square Lions Club, pies from the Brewerton United Methodist Church, apple crisp from the West Monroe Methodist Church, and the Sons of the American Legion’s tasty chicken barbecue, she added. The apple festival draws thousands of visitors each year. “Our festival has grown gradually over the years, and we strive to keep it a fun family weekend,” Sykes said. The club relies on its reputation for word-of-mouth referrals, but also utilizes advertising through social media and the Internet. Buoying the club’s efforts is the Oswego County Promotion and Tourism office. Sykes said the office supports the event by including it in statewide brochures and local radio ads. “As a club, we enjoy watching our community members come together to enjoy or participate in the apple festival,” Sykes said. “It is always fun watching it grow and change from year to year, and it gives us a sense of pride and accomplishment when we are able to see the enjoyment it provides to our community.”
Karate John exhibition at the Central Square Apple Festival. The festival benefits the community by providing a profitable fundraiser that allows the club to dedicate all of its profits to help local residents in need, she added.
Lending assistance
Sykes said the club donates to local food pantries, school projects, area emergency and county services, families that have experienced hardships due to fire or medical emergencies, and many other causes. A complete list is available by visiting www.centralsquareapplefestival. com.
Local students performing Irish dance at Apple Festival. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Sykes said the festival becomes more expensive each year, and organizers have found it necessary to look at alternative sources to enable them to pay expenses. Assistance is received from sponsors, including local businesses, organizations and individuals. This year, Suburban Propane is providing additional support for mandated mass gathering expenses. The club also utilizes receipts from crafters and vendors, as well as admissions. “We try to keep it affordable for families by charging $5 per carload for admission instead of a price per person,” Sykes said. Each year after the festival, the club sets aside some startup money to assist with the following year’s expenses. The rest is donated to worthy community organizations and people in need, she noted. Due to the size of the festival, it takes organizers an entire year to plan the festival. “We meet at the end of each year to try to resolve any known issues while they are fresh in our minds,” she said. “We then look to the future to eliminate potential problems before they arise.” Since the club doesn’t own the land where it holds the festival, it often needs to adapt to a variety of situations. “But we find that being proactive helps to keep things running smoothly. Also, we try to make sure we have a variety of vendors and entertainment to keep the festival fresh and inviting,” Sykes said. 67
Sandra Scott
Oswego County: Where Are the Tourists?
O ‘I realize that promoting an area like Oswego County is difficult given all the great tourist destinations there are in New York state’
swego County has much to offer ‘Tourism money is wonderful. tourists. Where are the tourists? Not only does it employ people I realize that promoting an area like Oswego County is difficult givin tourism but the trickledown en all the great tourist destinations there are in New York state: New York City, the effect helps people in many areas: accommodations, restauAdirondacks, the Finger Lakes, the 1000 Islands and Niagara Falls. rants and shops.’ Keeping that in mind, Oswego County would be a great place to spend a tractions in our area. In fact, we traveled couple nights on the way to another desthe NYS canal system from Oswego to tination. I see many tour buses passing Troy and, except for information on the through the area on their way between canal, none of the important places along the 1000 Islands and Niagara Falls. They the way were even mentioned. could break up their long ride with a The only tours along stop in the Oswego First Person the canal were a side trip area for lunch and a to Cooperstown and a visit to one or more walking tour of Troy. The only reason attractions. there was a stop in Troy to learn about Last fall I took a Blount Small Ship the home of Uncle Sam and give the Adventure tour from Montreal to New passengers something to do was that the York City via the St. Lawrence Seaway, crew raised the wheelhouse and readied New York state canals and Hudson River. the ship for the rest of the voyage down It was wonderful but I was upset when the Hudson to NYC. we stopped in Oswego for the night and What a missed opportunity to prothere was no mention of any of the atTop destination in the city of Oswego: Fort Ontario.
SANDRA SCOTT, a retired history teacher and the co-author of two local history books, has been traveling worldwide with her husband, John, since the 1980s. The Scotts live in the village of Mexico. 68
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
H. Lee White Marine Museum is a unique museum and a top destination in the city of Oswego. mote Central New York. The passengers were from England, Colorado, California and other far-flung places but my husband and I were the only ones from New York state or any state next to New York. I emailed Blount my suggestion that they consider a tour during their stop in Oswego. Along the same line, I often take a trip on the canal with Mid-Lakes Navigation. I really enjoyed their day tour of the Oswego Canal. It would be nice if they spent some time showing their passengers something in the area. Mid-Lakes buses their passengers between the start and end of the trip so surely adding a visit to a local attraction would not be out-of-thebox thinking. To me, it seems like an inexpensive way of showing off our area. Reaching out to people who do not reside in Oswego County is part of the problem. Articles in newspapers in Utica, Watertown, Rome and even Cleveland and Scranton listing the great things to do in the area might encourage people to stop on their way or even making the area their only destination. Fishing is a big draw and the main source of tourism money in AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Oswego County. Most the people are men who come without their families. The reason I hear is, “Spouses and children don’t want to come because there is nothing to do.” That is hardly true. Most likely they don’t know what else there is to do. Possibly fishing packages could include things for spouses and children to do. Oswego County and the entire area around the Great Lakes could benefit from the influx of tourism money. Tourism money is wonderful. Not only does it employ people in tourism but the trickledown effect helps people in many areas: accommodations, restaurants and shops. Tourism is environmentally friendly and all the great things to see and do in the area are already in place. There are so many great museums in the area but most are only open a couple days a week, mainly because it is hard to get volunteers. Possibly it would be easier to get volunteers if the museums were busier making the volunteer’s time seem more useful. Most museums will plan to open during unscheduled hours if they know they will have visitors. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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CNY55.com 69
TOURISM SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo David Granoff, who operates visitoswegony.com website, is now launching greatlakesvacation.com.
NEW TOURISM WEBSITE TAKES REGIONAL APPROACH
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t’s an adventure in tourism. David Granoff, who created the visitoswegony.com website several years ago, is embarking on a new cyber venture. His team is in the process of launching another tourism-related site, greatlakesvacation.com. “This is revolutionary from the standpoint that never before in this area of Upstate New York has a site brought different regions together as a single destination,” he said. GLV is a comprehensive and interactive tourism website that serves as a portal for domestic and international travelers. The site — which is still undergoing Beta development — will showcase the “best-of-the-best” experiences, including places to stay and eat in the region. It will be a veritable “one-stop-shop” to find vacation opportunities that will include data on numerous tourism attractions, 70
outdoor adventure experiences, historic sites, lodging, dining, shopping and more. The regions within the website include the Central Erie Canal Corridor, the northern Finger Lakes, the Seaway Trail, Thousand Islands and western Adirondacks. “These five areas have it all. When a person comes to this area, they are within about 110 miles or less to any and every attraction this whole area has to offer,” Granoff said. Granoff, CEO and editor-in-chief of greatlakesvacation.com, began part-time in the tourism industry as a consultant for RCI and Watson’s Regency Hotel Condominiums in Ocean City, N.J. in the mid-1990s. He created and maintains a tourism website that promotes the city of Oswego — www. visitoswegony.com — and is actively involved with several other tourism projects and social media sites in Upstate New York. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
GLV has teamed with Mohawk Valley GIS, which will create a mapping service for the new website. At www.glvmap-it.com, visitors to the site will be able to literally map out their itinerary thanks to links which open the door to cultural attractions as well as family fun activities, lodging, scenic sights, shopping venues, sports and recreation, themed activities and towns and cities. Granoff, a member of the New York State Tourism Industry Association, said tourism is a $102 billion industry in New York state, and has increased by 10 to 15 percent over the last few years. “People are motivated and realize we have a diamond in the rough here,” he said. Granoff said one of his goals is to integrate with other tourism advocacy organizations without stepping on anyone’s toes. He characterizes the state’s and AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
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region’s tourism players as highly territorial. “Tourists don’t think that way. Tourists would like to have the convenience of one-stop shopping and the best of everything,” said Granoff, noting visitors want a variety of options to choose from in terms of what to see and do.
A tourism playground
“A person now has this entire eastern Lake Ontario region as their playground,” he said. Granoff formerly operated a visitor’s center on East First Street in Oswego, and said many people who came in “didn’t really know what to do.” Granoff’s team consists of people with tourism savvy and talent. Laurie Solomon is the director of marketing and public relations for GLV. She is the president and chief consultant of Van Tourism Specialists, a tourism development and marketing firm. The success of a website extends beyond just the information it features. It’s the gateway to social media links complete with valuable video support. “People want to see videos, and AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
298-2644 “Your one-stop home improvement shop!”
YouTube is in the top-5 ways people get their online information,” he said. In response, Granoff will be hiring videographers to grow a dedicated YouTube channel and will include relevant videos directly inside the site. Also solidifying the team is Deb Lupien Denny, the content manager for GLV. She is a former editor, staff writer and columnist for The Palladium-Times. “It’s one thing to gather all of the information about a region in terms of what there is to do and see as well as food and lodging,” she said. “That’s important information we need to have on the site, but a lot of the writing needs to be creatively descriptive to entice not just a visual for potential travelers, but to emotionally connect with them so they feel like they need to come and experience it for themselves,” Denny said. Melissa Blackburn, president of Blackburn Graphics, provides web and design support. Granoff is a board member of the New York Cultural Heritage Tourism Network, a consortium of museums, forts and historic venues. He is also a board member of Canal New York, which will be involved with the upcoming Erie Canal bicentennial celebration, and Oswego’s Safe OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Haven Museum, which is seeking National Park recognition along with Fort Ontario. “It has opened my eyes about how much this area has to offer,” he said. GLV is applying for grant monies this year through the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council for promotional purposes. “That is the name of the game. How do we get the word out to those people who have an interest in it? That’s how we are going to grow,” he said. GLV is also going to reach out to international markets, including Europe, Canada, China and Australia. “They love to come to New York state,” he said. “But they don’t know a whole lot about Upstate. Our project will help to tie the two together.” The site is also offering tour and weekend getaway packages, and is working with Amtrak to accommodate visitors who visit by rail. “We don’t think we are going to stop with this one,” Granoff said. “We feel there is a possibility there could be a franchise of other regional GLVs in time. It depends on other interested stakeholders as the company moves forward.” 71
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
GOING ALONE, SORT OF Oswego Health maintains its autonomy through series of regional collaborations, partnerships
O
swego Health is sticking to its independence. There have been more than 1,000 hospital mergers and acquisitions in the United States since 1994. The rate of consolidation is accelerating, with 99 hospital mergers and acquisitions taking place in 2014, and 102 in 2015, according to Carl Ginsburg of the New York State Nurses Association. It’s happening in Buffalo, Rochester, Utica and many other regions across the state and the country. Outside of the New York City metropolitan area, over 70 percent of hospitals in Upstate New York are affiliated with at least one other hospital. Rural hospitals such as Oswego Health have reportedly been turning to larger health systems for various reasons, such as project funding, financial backing to borrow money, recruiting physicians, providing specialty services, managerial expertise and information technology. The result has been a flood of mergers, affiliations and collaborations. The latest involved Oneida Healthcare in Madison County and the larger Bassett Healthcare Network based in Cooperstown. Officials from both hospitals recently signed a “partnership agreement” designed to “enhance the delivery of health care
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services in Oneida region.” However, Oswego Health, led by Chuck Giganto, president and CEO, is bucking this trend by partnering and collaborating with a series of independent health care agencies to cut expenses and enhance efficiencies. “Oswego Health is a maintainable health system and we continue to seek collaboration opportunities on a local and regional level to enhance our sustainability,” Gijanto said. For instance, Oswego Health and Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists recently announced a collaboration to fill a void in Oswego County. The initiative brings SOS orthopedic surgeons to Oswego County to provide care. The SOS staff works alongside Oswego Health’s orthopedic team to provide office consults, as well as see patients in Oswego Hospital’s emergency room and conduct procedures in the surgery center. This care is supported by physical therapy services. Gijanto said as Oswego Health continues to enhance its own medical staff, the health system will continue to collaborate with Syracuse-based physician groups and hospitals to assist with meeting the healthcare needs of residents close to their homes. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Other specialties needed as cited in the most recent medical staff development plan include dermatology, pulmonology and neurology. “Along with these areas, Oswego Health believes it can expand its general surgery services,” Gijanto said. Oswego Health is tapping into various incentives to recruit physicians into these in-demand areas. “Oswego Health is able to provide incentives as a hospital to attract needed physician subspecialties to the area,” Gijanto said. In addition, physicians are eligible for National Health Services Corp. loan replacement. The NHSC offers tax-free loan repayment assistance to support qualified health care providers who choose to take their skills where they’re most needed. Oswego Health’s Director of Physician Recruitment Christopher Mitchell also works with outside agencies, area medical schools, attends physician career fairs and utilizes other sources to attract needed physicians to the community.
Primary care concerns
While Oswego Health has a “robust” medical staff that includes AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Attention Businesses!
many specialists, like other healthcare providers throughout the state and nation, the health system is experiencing a shortage of primary care physicians, Gijanto said. A report completed in recently by the Healthcare Association of New York State confirms the need for a significant increase in primary care physicians across the state. A total of 103 hospitals in the state responded to the 2015 physician advocacy survey, with 84 percent indicating that recruitment of primary care doctors is a key strategy for improving access to care in their communities. In addition, 71 percent said their current primary care capacity is insufficient to meet current patient needs, with 77 percent reporting a deficit to meet future needs. To expand primary care services in the community, Oswego Health recently opened a second Primecare Medical Practice at the Fulton Medical Office Building. “This office has become quite busy in a short period of time. To meet the needs in the Central Square community, we have physicians providing primary care at our Primecare office there,” Gijanto said. Oswego Health also formed an agreement with Northern Oswego County Health Services several years ago to fill voids in primary care services throughout the county. Oswego County Opportunities and Oswego Health divested their combined five health centers to NOCHSI. Gijanto said this move proved beneficial for Oswego Health and health care consumers in the county. NOCHSI’s status as a federally qualified health center allowed it to access and secure funds to enhance technology and facilities, which continue to attract physicians and mid-level providers to the primary care locations, Gijanto said.
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Key allegiances formed
Besides SOS and NOCHSI, Oswego Health has entered into a number of other allegiances to help cut expenses and boost access to quality health care. Oswego Health has partnered with CRA Medical Imaging, whose AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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physician radiologists represent a wide range of subspecialists. Gijanto said this partnership expands the depth of subspecialty radiology services available to patients living in Oswego County. CRA physician radiologists represent a wide range of subspecialists trained in neuroradiology, breast imaging and musculoskeletal imaging, as well as interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. “These radiologists have immediate access to their subspecialty-trained colleagues for consultation on complex cases,” Gijanto said. CRA also uses voice recognition software for the prompt turnaround of patient imaging reports to the referring physician, he added. Meanwhile, Oswego Health and SUNY Upstate Medical University have collaborated to bring oncology services close to home for those living in the Oswego area. Medical oncology and radiation oncology are available in Oswego by the same team of physicians providing cancer care at the Upstate Cancer Center in Syracuse. Co-owned by Oswego Health and Embracing Age, a nonprofit affiliate of St. Joseph’s Health, Oswego Health
Home Care features the only hospital-owned certified home healthcare agency in Oswego County. Gijanto said St. Joseph’s Health System has provided information technology and management services for OHHC for many years. “Their large healthcare network in the region allows Oswego Health Home Care to access registered nurses during shortages in our community,” he said. Another important Oswego Health relationship is with the New York State Department of Health. The DOH has assisted Oswego Health with operating funds that ensure it can continue to provide behavioral health services. “Oswego Health will continue to work with the DOH and all interested parties to resolve the ongoing and challenging financial burden required to provide these needed services,” he said. To this end, two new psychiatrists recently joined Oswego Health’s behavioral health services department. “They will greatly assist us in meeting the community’s need for these services,” Gijanto said.
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
MEET RENATO MANDANAS Chief medical officer at Oswego Health in charge of quality of care at hospital
R
enato Mandanas has been the chief medical officer at Oswego Health for the past two years. Among his achievements is guiding the health care organization toward achieving the lowest hospital-acquired condition rate in the region.
Q.: What are your primary duties as chief medical officer at Oswego Health? A.: I have served as Oswego Health’s chief medical officer for the past two years and previously was the vice president for medical affairs for five years. My most important role is overseeing patient quality. I ensure our patients receive safe, efficient care and have a
very positive customer experience. Other duties include physician recruitment and retention, ensuring we have the best medical professionals. I also serve as president of Oswego Health’s professional corporation, Physician Care P.C. It is a business model that allows the health system to hire physicians and oversee their practices. Through this model, physicians don’t have the administrative worries of running a practice and can devote all of their time to patient care. Joining Physician Care P.C. within the last year were primary care doctors at the Prime Care Medical Practice in Central Square, and a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Oswego Hospital. Physician Care P.C. expects to open a Prime Care Medical Practice in Fulton
Lifelines
Birth date: May 11, 1954 Birthplace: Manila, Philippines Current resident: Oswego Education: Medical School, The University of the Philippines, College of Medicine; interned at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila, Philippines; internal medicine residency, SUNY Buffalo; pulmonary fellowship, Wayne State University Affiliations: American College of Physicians; American College of Chest Physicians; Medical Society of the State of New York Family: Married with four children Hobbies: Enjoys hiking, exercising and travel 76
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo this summer. Q.: What are some of the foremost challenges you face as chief medical officer, whether they are related to the clinical or administrative side? A.: My challenges are similar to those at other health systems: The constant changes in regulations that drive up costs and the continued reductions in reimbursements by federal payers. Q.: What makes you feel good about your role at Oswego Health and in your profession? A.: I am very proud of several recent quality initiatives that our physicians and staff have worked hard to achieve. These include Oswego Hospital achieving the lowest hospital-acquired condition rate in the region. A Medicare study released in December of 2015 revealed that two Syracuse hospitals had scores worse than Oswego Hospital, resulting in financial penalties. Also, I am also proud of Oswego Hospital earning the designation as a Blue Distinction Center for Specialty Care in the area of maternity by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. Q.: How would you characterize your ties to your homeland of he Philippines? Do you visit there on occasion? A.: Yes, I enjoy traveling to the Philippines about once a year to visit my family and participate in medical missions to serve the poor. In fact, I brought my son on a mission prior to his attending medical school. I felt it was important to show him the contrast of healthcare in the Philippines. I took him to one of the best hospitals and then to one of the poorest. A good physician is able to thrive in both environments. He also saw how lucky we are in this country to have all the latest medical technology that is so often taken for granted. Along with the missions, I also help send medical supplies no longer needed in this country to the Philippines, where they are very much appreciated. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
13
QUESTIONS TO OSWEGO HEALTH’S TOP DOC Q.: What skill set do you possess which serves you well as chief medical officer at Oswego Health? A.: After having a private practice in internal medicine and pulmonology in Oswego for more than 25 years, I have experienced first hand the challenges of being a consulting physician in the hospital, as well as operating a traditional outpatient practice. I believe these experiences are important to members of the medical staff that I support and advocate for on a regular basis. My collaboration with these physicians supports our goal of continuously improving the quality of healthcare services in our community. Q.: What does it take to be an effective chief medical officer? A.: It entails several skills that include being passionate about the organization and providing high quality care. I must also be an advocate for our physicians and this requires me to be a good listener and problem solver. I must also think outside the box to provide the best solutions to issues. Q.: What are some of the key national trends happening in health care that have a direct impact on Oswego Health? A.: The Affordable Care Act conOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
tinues to have a tremendous impact on healthcare with changes in regulations, decreased payments to providers and consumers having the freedom to choose the lowest cost provider in the health exchange marketplace. In addition to the high deductible insurance policies that are now common, the delivery of medical care is continuing to be rapidly transformed into a retail service industry to meet consumer demand. Q.: Why the choice of Oswego to practice and work in? What do you enjoy most about the Oswego area? A.: My wife, who is also a physician, and I arrived here more than 30 years ago. We found Oswego a great place to live and raise our four children. Q.: How would you characterize your managerial or leadership style? A.: I strive to empower the front-line staff members, as they are the experts in their fields. Q.: Do you have any favorite places to go for dinner or entertainment in the Oswego or Central New York areas? Are there any destination points in Oswego County or Central New York that you visit? A.: I like the variety of restaurants that are now available in Oswego and at Armory Square in Syracuse. Q.: When all is said and done, what kind of legacy would you like to leave on the medical world? A.: I would like to be remembered as a caring physician who ensured Oswego Health’s patients received the best care, as well as my private practice patients. Q.: What is your ideal retirement scenario? A.: I haven’t really thought of retirement as I enjoy what I do and believe I can make a difference. Q.: What are your primary ways to relieve job-related stress? What do you find to be the most effective modes of reducing stress? A.: I like spending time with my family and I work out regularly. 77
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT
DWI ARRESTS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW By Nicole Shue
Counties of Oswego, Onondaga see decrease in number of DWI cases
D
riving while intoxicated arrests are the lowest they’ve been in Oswego County in the last 30 years. There has been a downward trend for quite awhile now. In 2015, there were 466 DWI arrests in Oswego County, compared to 10 years earlier, a total of 749 arrests. The total number of arrests in Onondaga County in 2015 was 1270, compared to 1377 arrests in 2014. In Oswego County, of last year’s 466 people arrested for violations of section 1192 of the vehicle and traffic law, 23 were arrested for DWAI-Drugs (Driving While Ability Impaired on Drugs), 417 were arrested for DWI, seven for DWAI-Alcohol (Driving While Ability Impaired) and three for DWAI-Commercial vehicle. Additionally, 14 were charged with violations of both DWI and DWAIDrugs, and two were arrested for DWAIDrugs and DWAI-Alcohol. In the last decade there were 6,199 total arrests in Oswego County for DWI versus 7,102 arrests from the years 1996 to 2005. Between 1986 and 1995, there were 8,796 DWI arrests. STOP-DWI Coordinator Robert Lighthall works in conjunction with various local enforcement agencies. The agencies that make the arrests include the Oswego County Sheriff, Fulton PD, Oswego PD, Central Square PD, Phoenix PD, Pulaski PD, University Police and New York State Police. Lighthall feels that education and enforcement play a role in the dwinLighthall 78
dling number of arrests. New York state laws crack down on impaired driving harder than ever before, the blood alcohol percentage has been gradually reduced and the penalties have increased. “The statistics may represent an educated public that no longer finds impaired driving to be acceptable,” said Lighthall. On the other hand, Oswego County has seen rise in drug-related criminal arrests, and other penal law arrests related to drug activity, like larcenies and burglaries. STOP-DWI’s mission is to empower the coordinating of local efforts to reduce alcohol and other drug-related crashes, fatalities and injuries. Each county in New York state has a STOP-DWI program. The individual programs work together in an effort to provide a consistent message, and to provide greater resources for each county, according to Lighthall. For the past four years, STOP-DWI has received grant funding for an operation known as high visibility road checks and saturation patrol crackdowns. Although arrests do get made during these crackdown periods, the focus is on education and awareness. The idea is to get the public talking about the subject of impaired driving and its potential fatal consequences. In the most recent Oswego County Traffic Safety Data report (conducted by the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research), the age group for the highest percentage of impaired drivers involved in alcohol-related fatal and personal injury crashes were residents between the ages of 21 and 24. In response to this statistic, the OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Oswego County District Attorney’s Office worked with COCOAA (County of Oswego Council on Alcoholism and Addictions) to develop a program similar to Project U-Turn for persons under the age of 25 arrested on drug charges. Project U-Turn is a mandatory program for those aged 16 to 20 who have been charged with an alcohol-related driving offense; a collaboration between STOP-DWI, the Office of District Attorney and COCOAA. Onondaga County is also seeing a decrease in the number of DWI arrests. In 2005, the number of alcohol related arrests in Onondaga County were 2,122, almost double of what they are now. Barry Weiss, Onondaga County STOP-DWI coordinator, said that the intent of the 1981 legislation passed in New York is working. The legislation that was passed was to reduce alcohol and other drug related crashes, specifically alcohol related fatalities, Weiss said. In the 1970s, before the STOP-DWI program took effect, Onondaga County was averaging 30 yearly deaths from alcohol related crashes. Last year, that number was four. In Oswego County there were two alcohol-related fatal crashes in 2015. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By
U.S. CAR CRASH DEATHS DOWN, BUT STILL SURPASS OTHER NATIONS
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Decline of 31 percent lowest among 20 countries studied; still, 90 American die in crashes every day
ar crash deaths on American roads fell nearly one-third over a recent 14-year period, but the nation’s collision death rate still tops that of other high-income countries, health officials reported in July. About 90 Americans die in crashes every day. That’s the highest roadway death rate among 20 countries examined, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. “It is important to compare us not to our past but to our potential. Seeing that other high-income countries are doing better, we know we can do better, too,” said Debra Houry, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
“People of our nation deserve better and safer transport,” she said in a CDC news release. Crash deaths in the United States fell by 31 percent from 2000 to 2013. In other countries studied, crash deaths declined by an average of 56 percent during the same time, the researchers found. Spain had the greatest reduction in crash deaths — 75 percent. The United States had the smallest reduction, according to the report. Alcohol and a lack of seat belts figured in many of the U.S. deaths, suggesting much more progress is possible, the CDC said. “We know what works to prevent crashes, injuries and deaths,” said Erin OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Sauber-Schatz, transportation safety team lead at the Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the CDC. “About 3,000 lives could be saved each year by increasing seat belt use to 100 percent, and up to 10,000 lives could be saved each year by eliminating alcohol-impaired driving,” Sauber-Schatz said. If the United States had the same crash death rate as Sweden — the country with the fewest crash deaths — more than 24,000 U.S. lives could’ve been saved in 2013. And $281 million in direct medical costs would’ve been saved in 2013 if U.S. drivers were as safe as those in Sweden, the researchers noted. 79
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Ken Little
IS CNY A GOOD PLACE FOR SENIORS? Online research source ranks NYS third-lowest among the 50 states as a place to grow old
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uperb summers, family ties, year-round outdoor activities and friendly neighbors are some of the reasons many people choose to remain in Central New York during their retirement years. But according to one study released recently, New York state ranks third lowest among the 50 states as a place to grow old, according to California-based Caring.com. The site is the leading online destination for those seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses and other loved ones, according to the company website. However, some seniors living in the region have no urge to move elsewhere. Luella Laney is representative of that group. As a member of the Senior Stars of Mexico club, Laney knows many “snowbirds” who only spend part of the year in locally. That’s not an option for everyone, or a matter of preference for Laney, 74, who taught for 36 years in the Altmar-Parish-Williamstown School District before retiring. Laney lives with her sister in New Haven, where she grew up. Her parents were farmers. Before her husband William Laney died in 2011, the couple lived for many years in Parish. Laney loves to stay active, participating in hobbies like gardening. All four of her children live in Central New York and friends and family is one of the primary reasons she never considered moving anywhere else.
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“I never wanted to retire elsewhere. If someone grew up in this area and spent most of their lives here, they have friends who live in this area and have hobbies,” Laney said. “I tend to know people who are more like myself. They have hobbies, whether it be quilting
or sewing.” As a lifelong Oswego County resident, Laney remains unfazed by the winters. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
“I’m accustomed to it. I grew up on a farm,” she said. “We stay here. I do the snowblowing all by myself.” The Caring.com report examined financial, healthcare and quality-of-life categories for communities across the United States. “While proximity of family and friends is the top factor when deciding where to live in your later years, things such as access to quality healthcare, the cost of senior care and support for seniors in a given area are also important to consider,” Laura Dixon, editor of Caring.com, wrote in a report summary. Those types of considerations “are especially key when deciding where to live in your late 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond, as more and more people now do,” retirement planning expert Sara Zeff Geber said in the report. “At that age, we really need to start thinking about someplace that’s stable, someplace that’s safe and some place that we can afford,” Geber said. “Those things don’t always add up to the Sun Belt.” Laney said she knows some people who spent years going south for the winter, but now choose to remain in Oswego County. Health is a factor for some. “I talked to several people now [who stay] because of health issues. This is where they’re friends and family are and there is concern about being 1,500 or 2,000 miles from home,” AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Laney said. “Most of the people I know do have family and stay close to them.”
Empire State Report
The state-by-state ratings for those 55 and older were determined using sources including the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Genworth’s 2015 Cost of Care Survey and the Long-term Scorecard, a joint effort by AARP, The Commonwealth Fund and The SCAN Foundation. They were assembled by examining data on quality of life for residents over 55, quality of healthcare, longterm care, support for seniors and family caregivers, senior care costs and more than 105,000 consumer ratings of senior care providers in each state. Here’s what the study concluded about New York state, including both rural and urban areas: — Claiming one of the most beloved, most-visited cities in the world, New York is second to none when it comes to many things — but as a place to grow old, the state is in the bottom three. — New York has the third-most expensive senior care in the country. A year in an assisted living community costs about $49,000 on average and a home health aide is around $52,600, while a semi-private room in a nursing home in New York runs about $131,700 on average. — New York state doesn’t fare much better in the healthcare or quality-of-life categories, ranking 36th in the nation on these criteria, a study summary stated. — The two states that rank lower than New York are New Jersey and West Virginia, which received the 50th ranking in the Caring.com report. — States rounding out the lowest 10 on the list include Kentucky, fourth lowest, along with Indiana, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Ohio and Pennsylvania (tied for eighth lowest) and Alabama. — Some of the top-10 states listed by Caring.com to grow old in may surprise some people. At the top of the list is South Dakota, followed by Iowa, Minnesota, Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, South Carolina, Nebraska and Hawaii. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Transportation, Lack of Home Aides: Major Hurdles for Seniors in Oswego County
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ara Sunday, administrator at Oswego County Office for the Aging, said lack of good transportation system and shortage of home aides are two major hurdles affecting seniors in Oswego County. “We do have a couple of hurdles here in Oswego County for aging seniors,” said Sunday. The first is lack of transportation, she said. “Many seniors are in rural areas with no close family Sunday or friends to rely upon. We receive calls all the time from people looking for transportation to doctor appointments out of Oswego County,” Sunday said. “While there are providers, it is too costly for many of our seniors on a fixed budget.” The Call N Ride program, which the Office for the Aging contracts for use by seniors, does not operate every day in all areas. “The transportation is only certain days of the week and many find it too restrictive,” Sunday said. The shortage of home aides is another concern. “Our home care program contracts with two agencies, and many times we are unable to place a personal care or housekeeper chore aide in a home due to unavailability of aides. This is an issue across the state, not just here in Oswego County,” Sunday said. As a means of addressing the problem, the Oswego County Office for the Aging will soon offer the option of social adult day services. “We are in the process of contracting for consumer directed in-home services, where the participant and our case manager determine the care plan and then the client chooses their own aide and ‘self directs’ their care, Sunday said. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
The Office for the Aging’s goal is to have the CDIHS program available as an option starting in August, Sunday said. Sunday said it’s not uncommon for seniors living in Oswego County to contact the Office for the Aging office about requests for maintenance, home repair or yard work services. “Many elderly Oswego County residents have decided to retain home occupancy. While the Office for the Aging has programs that help seniors remain safely in the home, we do not have maintenance or repair programs. Many times, these repairs are being neglected and homes are falling into disrepair,” Sunday said. Programs that help seniors to remain safely in their homes include housekeeper and chore services, personal care, home delivered meals and responses to personal emergencies. Finding appropriate medical care is another challenge faced by some of Oswego County’s elderly residents. “Many seniors are finding it difficult to secure a primary care physician. Many physicians are not accepting new patients, which is forcing seniors to utilize walk-in clinics or urgent care when necessary, making continuity of care difficult when many different doctors are providing treatment,” Sunday said. There are no fees for most Office for the Aging services. “Voluntary contributions are suggested and gladly accepted,” Sunday said. Programs are funded by federal, state and county grants through the Administration for Community Living, the New York State Office for the Aging and the Oswego County Office for the Aging, sponsored by Oswego County government. The Office for the Aging is located at 70 Bunner St., in the Oswego County office complex. For more information about programs available to seniors, call 315-349-3484. 81
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Ken Little
Oswego County Ranks ‘Average’ in AARP Study A
ARP, in conjunction with the Public Policy Institute, recently launched an interactive website to measure the quality of life in American communities across multiple dimensions. It uses seven categories to assess the livability of communities: housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement and opportunity. The livability index allows users to compare communities and adjust scores based on personal preferences “and learn how to take action to make their own communities more livable,” a study summary states. The livability index in Oswego County as calculated by AARP averages out to 47 out of 100 possible points. Onondaga County averages 56 point. To learn more about the livability index, go to www.aarp.org/ livabilityindex. An above average score in the livability index is between 67 and 100 points. Oswego County “does not score above average in any of the seven livability categories,” according to the AARP. Oswego County does fall within the “average” livability range, defined as a score of between 34 and 66.
Personal experience
Luella Laney, a Mexico resident, said she is fortunate to have a good pension and health plan from her years teaching elementary school in the A-P-W School District. Her husband was a surveyor for Niagara Mohawk, and Laney also receives retirement benefits from his plan. She and her sister enjoy living 82
simply, much like when they were growing up on the farm in New Haven. Laney enjoys being self-sufficient. “I feel like that’s the way we were brought up. You have to know how to stand on your own two feet,” she said. “We were brought up with the pride of being able to take care of ourselves and be independent.” Laney recognizes that some seniors are on tight budgets and dependent on government help to receive healthcare. “I can’t generalize for other people,” she said, adding advice and help is available through agencies like the Oswego County Office for the Aging. “There is a place for social services,” she said. “Our taxes are difficult on some people. We have a lot of services that are provided [in the state] and we have to pay for them. They’re not free.”
State of Oswego County
Here’s how Oswego County fares in each of the seven AARP categories: • In “opportunity,” which includes “inclusion and possibilities,” Oswego County received a score of 56 (out of 100). • Oswego County received a score of 48 in the “environment” category, which take factors like clean air and water into account. • Transportation, which references “safe and convenient options,” received a 40 score from AARP. • In the “engagement” category, which includes “civic and social involvement,” Oswego County gets a score of 38. • The “neighborhood” category, which looks at “access to life, work OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
and play,” Oswego County’s score of 31 falls within a below average assessment in the livability index. Below average is defined as 0 to 33 points. • In the “health” category, which includes factors like “affordability and access,” the Oswego County score is 56. • In housing, which incorporates affordability and access, the rating is 51. “Housing is a central component of livability,” the index states. “Great communities provide housing opportunities for people of all ages, incomes and abilities, allowing everyone to live in a quality neighborhood regardless of their circumstances. Oswego County compares favorably with the national average for monthly housing costs, at $876 compared to the national average of $999. It is right in line with the availability of multi-family houses, at 18.9 percent. The county average of 16 percent of monthly income devoted to housing costs is below the national average of 18.4 percent. In terms of health-related issues included in the livability index, Oswego County ranks slightly higher than the national average for factors like smoking rate and obesity prevalence. On a scale of 0 to 25, with 25 being the most concerning, the shortage of health professionals and clinicians in Oswego County was rated at 15. “Creating a livable community is challenging, and so is getting a high livability score. To get a perfect score of 100, a neighborhood would have to be among the best in the country in each of the seven livability categories,” according to the AARP. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Compass Credit Union to Expand to Six Locations Merger with Heritage Federal Credit Union brings convenience, better services
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ompass Federal Credit Union welcomes the members and employees of Heritage Federal Credit Union, as the two organizations merged Aug 1. Compass management following the merger will consist of Compass Manager Tom O’Toole, and assistant managers Denise Grinnell and Sally Godfrey. Godfrey will transition from her current role as Heritage Credit Union manager. “We are excited to provide former Heritage members access to our many services, such as Visa cards and mobile banking with remote deposit capture at the same time as we expand locations and convenience to all our members,” said O’Toole. Godfrey says she looks forward to joining the staff of Compass. “I am excited about working with a board and staff that are committed to servicing and growing the entire membership without losing the personal relationships that we have established over the years.” O’Toole and Godfrey agree that the merger assures sustainability of their mutual goal: To become the membership’s primary financial institution, by providing high quality personal service, with an emphasis on security of funds, competitive programs and continued growth. Two members of the current Heritage board of directors, Lisa Vinciguerra and Michael Pisa, were unanimously voted to serve on the Compass board, which will expand to nine members, while the Compass staff will grow to 18 employees. With the merger, all former Heritage offices will convert to Compass offices, expanding where members can do business from three to six staffed locations. In addition to the main office at 131 George St. and the current site-based offices at Novelis and Oswego Hospital, members can be served at the Hillside Plaza office in Oswego, on the SUNY Oswego campus in Culkin Hall, and the Canalview Mall office in Fulton. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Compass ATM locations will also expand. In addition to the ATMs at the George Street and Novelis locations,
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
an ATM will be available in the SUNY Oswego Marano Campus Center, near the Chu Atrium bus stop. The credit union offers members five free transactions per month at its many courtesy ATMs, including Empower, Oswego County FCU and Allpoint locations, which can be found at AllpointNetwork.com. O’Toole says that although the organization continues to grow, the exceptional service members have come to expect remains the same.
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Success Story
Ontario Orchards’ Fall Jamboree Festival Celebrates Life on the Farm, Grows to Attract 15,000 People Every Year, Turns 15
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he annual Ontario Orchards’ Fall Jamboree has found a niche as a major destination point for both local residents and tourists in September. The free event will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 17-18 at the Ouellette’s farm at 15273 Center Road, Sterling. “It’s the kickoff for our autumn
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harvest,” said Dennis Ouellette, who along with his wife June and daughters Laurie and Kathy orchestrate what has grown to be a popular family event on the late-summer calendar. The Ouellette family has owned and operated Ontario Orchards in Southwest Oswego for 51 years. Dennis and June have three grandchildren, two of whom are helping with the OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
By Lou Sorendo
jamboree. The 15th annual event began as a roadside celebration and now draws about 15,000 visitors to the two-day event. Laurie and Kathy developed the concept of a fall jamboree while on a family trip. “We used to go to the pumpkin festival in Oswego, and asked ourselves, ‘Why don’t we show these people all the things that we had while growing up and get them out to Sterling?’” Kathy said. “We wanted to show them what it was like living on an apple farm.” Their childhood included building obstacle courses, riding horses through the apple orchards, picking apples and pumpkins with their parents, climbing in straw and making scarecrows out of straw, decorating pumpkins, riding tractors and wagons, cutting down Christmas trees AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
with their dad’s hand saws, and fishing in Sterling Creek. “We just thought we had a great experience growing up as kids in Sterling,” Laurie said. “We didn’t have cell phones, so we had to be creative with our time and my parents were always working,” Kathy added. Laurie noted instead of going to the pumpkin festival, it was time to bring it to their property while promoting their U-pick operation. The landscape features drumlins, or rolling hills and valleys that create an attractive setting for people to visit, Dennis added. “The setting is priceless, bar none,” he said. “It’s an all-natural, countryside show. That is what makes it very unique. It’s not like the state fair with asphalt, lights, sirens, bells and whistles.” Attendance at the jamboree has progressively increased over the years. Dennis said initially, the jamboree started along the roadside before extending into the lawn. After a while, it became much more than just the lawn. “Every year after the jamboree, my daughters would say, ‘Dad, you need to take out more Christmas trees,’ or ‘Dad, you need to take out more apple trees,’” Dennis said. “So over the years, my orchards and Christmas tree lots are shrinking but the jamboree is growing,” he said.
Tourism venue
The fall jamboree has evolved into a destination point, much like Rudy’s and Ontario Orchards in Southwest Oswego. The jamboree pulls in visitors who are traveling the Seaway Trail as well and wish to indulge in apple and pumpkin picking or trying to solve a corn maze. “It’s a family tradition. People keep coming back and they want to come with their families,” Kathy said. Children also get an educational experience by getting a closer look at farm life. “It gets people out of the city and into the country,” Kathy said. The family puts together an extensive advertising program that incorporates its farm, farm market and jamboree. Dennis said the objective is to reach people within a radius of 100 miles. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Preparing for the 15th annual Ontario Orchards’ Fall Jamboree are, from left, Dennis, June, Kathy and Laurie Ouellette.
If You Go...
The Ontario Orchards’ Fall Jamboree is celebrating its 15th year this year. It will take place Sept. 17-18 in Sterling.
“Once we get somebody here from 100 miles out or more, they tell their friends. Word of mouth still is by far the best advertising,” he said. Among the attractions are musical entertainment, pony rides, a horsedrawn wagon, a zip line, a mechanical bull, make-your-own scarecrow, arts and crafts and pumpkin art. “One of the nicest things about working in this area is the local talent that we do have,” Laurie said. “It makes it easier to find local vendors, artists, musicians and food. We are surrounded by unbelievable talent in this area.” Music featured covers a wide range of genres, and the jamboree showcases four bands throughout the two-day event. There are three locations for U-pick that can all be accessed by tractor and wagon. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
New this year is “Body Zorbing Balls” for racing fun and “Jacob’s Ladder,” where participants test their balance and ladder-climbing skills. Also featured will be Ontario Orchards hard cider. “We’ve been working on it for 30 years and are going to introduce it at the jamboree,” Kathy said. The family gains great satisfaction in presenting the community event. “To me, it’s the smiles on kids’ face. That’s what it’s all about,” June said. “It’s about the Ouellettes being able to share what we have with others,” Laurie added. Dennis said it also unifies people within the community, whether they are youth, artisans, craftspeople, food vendors or the nonprofits that participate at the jamboree. “They support us, we support them,” Dennis said. “With the increased revenue we’ve had over the years, it has allowed us to expand significantly at rather a quick pace,” he said. “In order to expand, develop and grow, you have to have resources and profits obviously. The support that we’re getting from the community and our customer base allows us to expand the jamboree each year.” “We’re always looking for ideas 85
and ways to attract more people,” Dennis said. “Creativity. That’s a big word for us while planning the jamboree,” he said. “We also strive to make the setting more beautiful, attractive and appealing.”
Agri-tourism trending
Ouellette said agriculture in New York state is one of the strongest parts of its economy. “Our governor and agriculturalists in government have been very supportive of creating a strong agri-
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business sector throughout New York state and it is creating a lot of revenue for many people within the county and throughout the whole state,” he said. As a farmer, Ouellette places importance on educating people as to what farming is all about. “It’s not just apples and potatoes in a store,” he said. “People come out here and see what’s going on and see what’s being raised, but sometimes they also see the hardships and adversities of agricul-
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
ture,” he said. “Not everything is an easy product,” he added. “It’s not a given thing.” “You can have windstorms, and this year we’re having a drought,” said Ouellette, noting hail is another threat to crops. When people visit orchards this year, they will see the results of a blight that has struck, leaving in its path dead trees and branches, Ouellette said. “It was unpredicted and virtually uncontrollable,” he said. “It also lets people realize that agriculture is not just for anybody. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it,” he said, coining one of his favorite phrases. The Ouellette farm in Sterling features 30 acres of sweet corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, squash, pumpkins, gourds and June’s raspberries. They also have 30 acres of Christmas trees, and 90 acres of apples. “There has been some great revenues coming down the pipeline out of Albany to encourage agri-tourism,” said Ouellette, noting that urban and rural farm markets, the marketing of organic products and commercial gardening are trending high as a result. Ouellette not only complimented the state for its efforts at promoting agri-tourism, but also organizations such as the New York Apple Association and the American Farm Bureau Federation. “There’s many organizations that are realizing there is a real need to expand the process of educating the public about agriculture,” he said. He said Onondaga County is doing a stellar job in promoting its own homegrown products. “We have Onondaga County farmers that supply Ontario Orchards. We made the decision many years ago that we can’t raise everything,” he said. Ouellette works with local growers and suppliers and helps them as much as he can to ensure quality control. As a result, Ontario Orchards has been a great asset not only in terms of presenting events such as the fall jamboree, but also as a valuable resource for the local farming community in general, Dennis noted. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Jamie Persse jamie@jcpersseconsulting.com
‘As a corporate trainer, executive coach and thinking partner, I work with organizations to help them get “unstuck,” to help them achieve their full potential.’
Learning From No. 1 in the World T
Numerous questions during the his past May, I had the pleasure of watching the Players Championship interview revolved around handling golf tournament. What a spectacular adversity, and adjusting accordingly. His weekend it was in the world of golf. The simple response was “there are certain young Aussie, Jason Day, brought it to the mindsets you have to have.” In particular, forefront once again, and beat the field by he spoke of the need to four strokes, going wire have joy and happiness to wire, leading all four FIRST PERSON in life. On handling days at one of the most things that may distract difficult venues in golf. him...”if I perceive It’s no wonder he is ranked No. 1 in the world! distractions as something negative, I can Regardless of whether you’re a golf fan or not, there are life and business lessons to be let it sway my mental state and get me learned from this young man. After watching off track.” That kind of mental strength the post-win press interview with Day, I was certainly paid dividends. Playing the front thoroughly impressed with how he leads his nine, his lead was reduced to only two life and conducts his business. While there shots, leaving the field open to gain the are many, here are some of the key takeaways lead. His winning mindset never wavered. that impressed me the most. • On the importance of being mentored and remaining teachable. Being No. 1 doesn’t mean doing it all by himself. Day reflected on the high regard he holds for his relationship with his team of coaches, caddie and his friend and mentor, Tiger Woods. He referenced conversations he had with the former No. 1 in the world that kept him grounded and focused on the task at hand to achieve the goal. Likewise, he spoke of how his “team” came together after each round where he felt he could make improvements, took their input and suggestions, then went out and made the necessary adjustments. Key takeaway: Ultimately, it was Day’s job to go out and execute. However, even the best in the world is open to being mentored and taught. Are you surrounding yourself with an inner circle that will help you achieve your goal? Are you remaining teachable?
JAMIESON C. PERSSE is the founder and CEO of JC Persse Consulting. For more information, visit www. jcpersseconsulting.com and • On the importance of reflection, send an email to jamie@ jcpersseconsulting.com. and evaluating the experience. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
He went into No. 10 with a can-do attitude, birdied it, and never looked back. Particularly impressive was when asked of his recent 10-month winning streak, (eight out 17 starts ended in victory) that brought him to No. 1. Instead of reveling in the win, he reflected on the years of failure, and former losses that brought him to this point. He stated, “It’s the years leading up to this point that have given me the foundation.” Learning from those failures, making adjustments along the way have made him the player that he is today. Key takeaway: Be resolute, never give up. Persevere. Learn from past failures and keep moving in the direction of your desired goal! Do you have any experience from the past that you can learn from? • On the importance of attitude. Jason Day didn’t hit the tour being viewed as a contender for No. 1 in the world like some of the others in his generation, like Jordan Spieth or Rory
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
McIlroy. When asked what the difference is now, versus in the past that has led him to No. 1, Day stated that his “turn around thought” was one thing: he believes he can win, and wants to win. Day said he didn’t start out on the tour believing he was worthy of competing at the level of being a winner. He commented that once the belief was internalized, then he had to do the “little” things that would yield great results. Well, the results are there! Key takeaway: Never underestimate the importance of attitude! Do you have limiting beliefs that are keeping you down? Do you have an attitude that you can win? Do you want to win? While some of these observations may seem simple or intuitive, the question to ask is where and how we use them daily. To achieve what we want to achieve, it needs to start as an inside job. We need to have the desire, will and belief that we can achieve. And whether that is to be the No. 1 or maybe it’s simply to be better than we have been in the past, it is achievable. We need to do the little things that need to be done to prepare. Dr. John Maxwell, an author and speaker, says: “Success is where preparation meets opportunity.” Growth and development don’t simply occur over time. Take the action, prepare for success. Remain teachable and coachable. Continue to increase your skill level. And, lastly, utilize the support of others. Whether that is your inner circle, a trainer, and executive coach, etc, there’s no need to go it alone. As we can see from Jason Day, No. 1 in the world in his field, it certainly doesn’t have to be lonely at the top. I truly hope this serves you well! AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Best Business Directory AUCTION & REAL ESTATE Dean D. Cummins over 35 years experience. All types of auctions & real estate. Route 370 Cato. Call 246-5407.
AUTO COLLISION Northside Collision, Baldwinsville. Upstate’s largest collision/repair center. Lifetime warranty, loaners or rentals. We assist with the insurance claims. 75 E. Genesee St., Baldwinsville. More information, call 638-4444.
AUTO SALES & SERVIC Bellinger Auto Sales & Service — Third generation business. Towing, auto repair & accessories, Truck repair. Oil, lube & filter service. 2746 County Route 57 Fulton, NY 13069. Call 593-1332 or fax 598-5286.
AUTO SERVICE & TIRES Northstar Tire & Auto Service. Major/minor repairs. Foreign & domestic. Alignments. Tire sales. Call Jim at 598-8200. 1860 state Route 3 W. in Fulton.
BUILDING SUPPLIES Burke’s Home Center. The complete building and supply center. Two locations for your convenience: 38 E. Second St. in Oswego (343-6147); and 65 N. Second St. in Fulton (592-2244). Free deliveries.
COPY + PRINT Port City Copy Center. Your one-stop for all of your copy + print needs. 184 Water St. Oswego (back of Canal Commons). 216-6163.
CUSTOM PICTURE FRAMING Picture Connection. 169 W. First St. Oswego. Quality conservation matting & framing for your photos, prints, original artwork & objects. 343-2908.
DEMOLITION
LANDSCAPING
Fisher Companies. Commercial & residential demolition. Great prices. Fully insured. Free estimates. 46 years of experience. Call Fisher Companies at 315-652-3773 or visit www.johnefisherconstruction.com.
D & S Landscaping office. Servicing Oswego & surrounding areas. Quality work, prompt & dependable service. Free estimates. Fully Insured. Backhoe services, Lawn mowing, Snow plowing, Top soil, Tree work. Hydro-seeding & asphalt seal coating. 315-598-6025 (cell 315-591-4303).
EXCAVATING Gilbert Excavating. Septic systems. Gravel & top soil. Septic and tank pumping. 691 county Route 3, Fulton, 13069. Call 593-2472.
GLASS Fulton Glass — Oswego County’s only full service glass shop. Residential. Commercial. Shower enclosures. Auto glass. Window and picture glass. Screen Repair. Window Repair. Beveled Mirrors and Glass. Hrs:M-Th 8-4, Fri 8-noon. FultonGlass.net, 840 Hannibal Street Fulton, NY 13069, 593-7913.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
LUMBER White’s Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski: state Route 13, 298-6575; Watertown: N. Rutland Street, 788-6200; Clayton: James Street, 686-1892; Gouverneur: Depot Street, 287-1892. D & D Logging and Lumber. Hardwood lumber sales. Buyer of logs and standing timber. Very competitive pricing. Call 315-593-2474. Located at 1409 county Route 4, Central Square, NY 13036.
OUTBOARD MOTORS
Wet Paint Company. Paint, flooring, blinds & drapes. Free estimates. Call 343-1924, www.wetpaintcompany.com.
Arney’s Marina. Route 14 Sodus Point, NY. Honda fourstroke motors, 2 hp to 250 hp. Repower your boat with the best! Call 483-9111 for more information.
INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE
OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT
Lie detection, EAMS, matrimonial, criminal, custody. Call P.I.B Investigations at 315-952-1118. Liedetectionssyracuse.com. Director: W. Malcom Plummer.
BJ’s Outdoor Power Equipment/ Sales & Service. 3649 state Route 3, Fulton, NY. www.bjsoutdoorpower.com. We sell Ferris, Echo, Central Boiler, and Simplicity products. Call 598-5636.
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.
LAND SURVEYOR Robert M. Burleigh, licensed land surveyor. Quality land surveying. Residential, subdivision, commercial, boundary surveying. 593-2231.
QUILT SHOP Quality fabrics, Notions, Classes for everyone. Explore a new hobby. The Robins Nest, 116 W. Broadway, Fulton, NY 315-598-1170
ROOFING/GUTTERS Over The Top Roofing. Mike Majeski. Commercial & residential roofing. Quality craftsmanship. 50-year manufacturer’s warranty for residential roofs. Best price on seamless gutters. Call 882-5255. 400 Co. Rt. 7 Hannibal, NY 13074.
HEADING: LISTING:
$159 for 1 Year Just fill out this form, and send it with a check to:
Oswego County Business • P.O. Box 276 • Oswego, NY 13126
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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By Lou Sorendo
Nick Canale Owner of Canale’s Restaurant helping to spearhead revitalization of region’s nuclear power sector through Upstate Energy Jobs Coalition Q.: What has motivated you as an independent businessperson in Oswego to engage in the efforts of the Upstate Energy Jobs Coalition? A.: I’m a member of the county’s Industrial Development Agency, which is where the coalition started. It was a function of our efforts to try to save the FitzPatrick plant. The plant and its employees are very good customers of our business. They are friends and neighbors. The economic impact from such a closure would be devastating to this local area, not just in terms of the economy, but in terms of the feel of the community. It wouldn’t be just the loss of jobs at FitzPatrick. We wouldn’t be able to continue to support all the people we have here at the restaurant if business drops off significantly because of something like that. Q.: What skill set do you bring to the table as a representative of the coalition that will enhance the group’s efforts? A.: I have a lot of contacts with the local business community through my past work with the
Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, doing business in the community my entire adult life and meeting all the people that work in the area. I think I can put a face on the situation that is not a part of Exelon, Entergy or the big players and show how it affects the community. I can put the scenario into a local impact perspective and represent employees, tenants and customers. When someone in the local business community steps up, people listen. It’s different as opposed to having someone who is in public relations or a lobbyist. Q.: Exelon has confirmed recently it is negotiating with Entergy — owner of the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant — Regarding the sale of Entergy’s struggling facility. It’s a deal that could potentially save FitzPatrick. What kind of reaction did you have to this news? A.: I was elated and thrilled. This is something the Upstate Jobs Coalition had out there as its ideal scenario to save the plant. It makes the most sense to have the company that operates next door to purchase and continue to operate the plant. Q . : How will the coalition’s efforts aid future businesses and future generations? A.: From
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my perspective, I look at this business [Canale’s Restaurant] that we have here now as something that has been part of our family for 60 years, and I’d like to see it continue beyond me. In order for that to happen, we need to have a vibrant local economy that generates jobs and people with disposable income that can afford to eat at restaurants. If that’s not the case, it’s hard for this place to thrive. If my family is going to continue to be able to keep this going into the next generation, then we need to have a vibrant local economy. Keeping those plants viable at least through their license periods is a big part of that. Q.: As a result of the clean energy standard, Exelon is in line to receive $7 billion in new revenue from the state over 12 years if it keeps all three of its nuclear plants running. How fair are these nuclear subsidies? A.: The cost of closing the plant to the community is significantly higher than the cost of keeping it open. I see subsidization of the plants as an investment in our local community and energy infrastructure. Honestly, what’s being done in New York could be used as a model for other states as well as we combat climate change and the changing energy portfolio that people want to see. People want to see more wind and solar, but right now, if you shut these nuclear plants down, it’s not going to replaced by wind or solar at any time soon. It’s going to be natural gas that fills the void or imported power from other states. Why would we not make the investment in our own infrastructure here in New York, supply power to New Yorkers upstate and downstate and employ New Yorkers to produce the power that is needed? Q.: What does the future hold for the Upstate Energy Jobs coalition once the FitzPatrick issue is solved? A.: I think once we get to the point of the Clean Energy Standard passing, being finalized and implemented, then we have achieved our original goal of getting the table set to allow these plants to stay viable. I think there are other issues out there that can be addressed. Transmission has been an issue for a couple of decades and I think the coalition could get involved in what is an antiquated system. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
Greater Impact and Success SUNY Oswego helps solve problems. We provide advisement and training for business, workforce development opportunities, and technical assistance and training for nonprofit organizations. We build relationships in Central New York.
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