SYRACUSE — OCRRA opened its Amboy and Jamesville compost sites on Monday, May 4 and Thursday, May 7, respectively, after a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Residents and businesses looking to drop off yard waste or purchase compost or mulch can now do so, the agency says.

OCRRA says it delayed the opening of the compost sites to protect residents and essential agency staff during the COVID-19 outbreak. OCRRA says it was able to open the sites because the county lifted its shelter-in-place order and the agency implemented measures to protect staff and customers at the sites.

All customers and staff must maintain a six-foot social distance from others and everyone must wear masks at all times on site. OCRRA also says it will be limiting the number of customers on site at one time and it asks that “everyone be patient.” 

The Amboy compost site — located at 6296 Airport Road in Camillus — is open Monday to Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The Jamesville compost site — situated at 4370 Route 91 in Jamesville — is open Thursday to Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

“OCRRA is pleased to welcome all customers back to both our compost sites,” Dereth Glance, OCRRA executive director, said in a statement. “Residents can drop off yard and food waste for recycling and load up on local OCRRA compost and mulch to finish beautifying and nourishing their gardens and landscapes.” 

More information on the composting sites is available at: https://ocrra.org/locations/compost-locations/.

SYRACUSE — The United Way of Central New York (UWCNY) board of directors has recently elected Stephanie Crockett as its chair.

Crockett, executive VP and managing director at Mower, has been a UWCNY board member since 2015. She most recently served a two-year period as vice chair. 

UWCNY board members work to ensure that the United Way’s efforts align with the greatest needs of the region, and they recently undertook the development of a strategic plan for the organization.

“As a marketing executive, I track efficiencies and measure outcomes against goals daily. Our board is taking that same approach to the strategic counsel we offer United Way of Central New York’s administrative team,” Crockett said in a statement. “I have enormous respect for the work they do to raise money, identify issues, and align with community groups to develop special programs that will support our neighbors and drive meaningful change.” 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, UWCNY says it is working with county and city officials, leading the effort to recruit and deploy the staff of volunteers to help distribute goods to those dealing with food insecurity.

At Mower, Crockett leads the Syracuse branch of an independent marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency that also has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, N.C., Cincinnati, as well as Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, and New York City. She also serves on the board of directors of CenterState CEO and Visit Syracuse.