Work begins on Oneonta intersection improvements

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ONEONTA. N.Y. — Construction work has started on a $4 million project to enhance safety and improve traffic flow at the intersection of James F. Lettis Highway (State Route 23) and Main Street (State Route 7) in Oneonta, Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced. Work will include constructing a modern roundabout to reduce vehicle congestion and […]

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Work will include constructing a modern roundabout to reduce vehicle congestion and make it easier for pedestrians and motorists to get around downtown Oneonta, according to the governor’s office.

The project will convert the current, signalized intersection of Lettis Highway and Main Street into a single-lane roundabout that will improve vehicle mobility and reduce idling. New sidewalks, lighting and signage — including flashing beacons — will also be installed to enhance safety for pedestrians. New drainage systems and landscaping will be added to improve resiliency and sustainability.

Work began in April with tree removal and other site preparations. Major construction will start in early to mid-July and focus initially on the northern end of the intersection and interior of the roundabout. During this phase, only the ramps to and from the Lettis Highway will be open to traffic traveling east on Main Street. All other vehicular and pedestrian access will be closed and detours posted, per the announcement.

In September, construction work will shift to the southern end of the intersection and the southbound ramps onto Lettis Highway will close. Eastbound traffic will be detoured.

During the project, a free, 24-hour shuttle will be provided to aid pedestrians during times when access to the work zone is restricted. There will be two pickup and drop-off locations on Main Street and two more on Lettis Highway.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to wrap up at the end of the year. The project is funded with a mix of state and federal funds, with the bulk of it coming from the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program, the governor’s office stated.

A second project — dubbed the Southside Oneonta Safety and Mobility Improvements Project — is scheduled to begin in 2026 and focus on improving the sidewalks and traffic flow along State Routes 23 and 28.

Lockheed Martin’s Salina plant wins $213 million contract modification

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SALINA, N.Y. — Lockheed Martin Corp.’s (NYSE: LMT) facility in suburban Syracuse was recently awarded a $213 million modification to a U.S. Army contract for Sentinel radar systems and spares growth kits. Work will be performed in Lockheed’s plant in the town of Salina, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 13, 2027, according to

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New York state honey production jumped nearly 16 percent in 2024

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only

New York state honey production increased 15.9 percent to almost 2.76 million pounds last year from nearly 2.38 million pounds in 2023, according to a recent report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). New York beekeepers earned nearly $16.21 million from their honey in 2024, up 47 percent from $11.01 million the prior

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Visions starts 5th year as naming sponsor for Binghamton arena

Banks & Credit Unions, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Insurance & Financial Services, Nonprofits, Southern Tier, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Visions Federal Credit Union (Visions FCU) has begun its fifth year as naming sponsor of the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton. With support from Visions during the past four years, the credit union says the local venue has “overcome challenges brought by the pandemic and is now bustling with increased attendance

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Visions Federal Credit Union (Visions FCU) has begun its fifth year as naming sponsor of the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton.

With support from Visions during the past four years, the credit union says the local venue has “overcome challenges brought by the pandemic and is now bustling with increased attendance and community engagement,” per a recent announcement.

“Over the past four years, our partnership with Visions has brought much-needed new events and opportunities to our community following the challenges of the pandemic that halted live entertainment,” Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said. “Their support has given people more ways to come together and enjoy these experiences, and we are grateful for their continued commitment to Broome County.”

Visions FCU’s sponsorship in January 2021 started during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the arena to shut its doors for an extended period. Between March 9, 2020, and March 11, 2021, the arena hosted only a handful of events for a total attendance of fewer than 300 patrons.

In 2021, crews performed major renovations to the arena’s aging infrastructure and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems as the brand of Visions Federal Credit Union was installed outside and painted throughout the building to replace the prior sponsor.

By that summer, Visions had become a principal sponsor of the Binghamton Black Bears to help keep professional hockey in the local community after the previous hockey team relocated to Utica. Within the team’s first two seasons, attendance at hockey games would reach an average of nearly 3,000 per night. The average-attendance figure rose to about 4,100 per home game this past season.

Partnering with Mirabito

When the credit union pursued the sponsorship, Visions FCU had developed a strategic partnership with Mirabito Energy Products to expand the impact. Mirabito became naming sponsor of the box offices for both the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena and Broome County Forum Theatre.

“I’m a firm believer that, in most cases, a setback is only the setup for a comeback,” Timothy Strong, Visions FCU’s director of branding and public relations, said. “We expected that our partnerships with Broome County and Mirabito would help this area recover from the pandemic, and we’re proud to have seen that come true.”

The two sponsors, Visions FCU and Mirabito, have supported initiatives to bring new events, local artists, and major performing acts into the community. They also provide exclusive access to discounted tickets, pre-sale offers, and special promotions that have encouraged attendance at the venue’s events.

Part of Visions FCU’s sponsorship included the creation of a Naming Rights Fund to help cover the cost of programming at the Arena and Forum. In the past few years, the fund helped acts that included Jeff Dunham, Jerry Seinfeld, Walker Hayes, and WWE, Visions said.

“From state championship athletics events to the Binghamton Black Bears to several concerts and family shows, we’ve been able to attract shows of all types that would not have otherwise come to Binghamton but for the partnership with Visions,” Christopher Marion, general manager of Visions Veterans Memorial Arena and Forum Theatre, said in the announcement. “We have also been able to access the Naming Rights Fund to help all of our stakeholders and tenants either maintain or enhance their level of activity or service in both venues.”

Community events

In addition to supporting ticketed events at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena, the credit union says it has hosted events with free attendance for the community.

The Visions Summer Concert Series evolved over three years into the Bands & Brews Block Party, bringing thousands of attendees to the space for free outdoor concerts that have included local vendors, meet-and-greets with professional athletes, and more than a dozen bands from around New York State.

Introduced by the Visions Veterans Program in 2022, Visions FCU has also hosted an annual Veterans Expo, allowing veterans and military-connected community members to network with veteran-service providers from throughout the Southern Tier and Central New York.

Contractor named SBA Syracuse Small Biz Person of the Year

Small Business, Subscriber Only

SBA to recognize additional local awardees as well SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Shawni Davis, owner of Luminary Electrical Services, is the SBA Syracuse district Small Business Person of the Year, chosen “for her impact and economic contributions in Central New York.” Luminary Electrical Services operates at 407 Cambridge Ave. in the town of Salina. The Syracuse

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SBA to recognize additional local awardees as well

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Shawni Davis, owner of Luminary Electrical Services, is the SBA Syracuse district Small Business Person of the Year, chosen “for her impact and economic contributions in Central New York.”

Luminary Electrical Services operates at 407 Cambridge Ave. in the town of Salina.

The Syracuse district of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is honoring Davis, saying she “has been consistently growing her company and putting more Central New Yorkers to work year after year as well as serving as a beacon for her community through volunteer efforts like the Boys and Girls Club and her work with high school STEM students,” per the SBA’s March 18 announcement.

STEM is short for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The SBA’s Syracuse district office is celebrating its Small Business Person of the Year and three additional honorees as it prepares for National Small Business Week, which will take place May 4-10 of this year.

“It is an honor to celebrate outstanding Upstate New York small business owners,” Dan Rickman, director of the SBA Syracuse district, said in an announcement. “Small businesses do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to creating jobs and strengthening our economy, and this years’ award winners exemplify the American dream of entrepreneurship through their grit and determination.”

SBA’s Syracuse office will use a May 5 ceremony at Onondaga Community College’s Gordon Student Center to recognize both the Small Business Person of the Year and additional local awardees who have “empowered entrepreneurial success, created jobs and driven economic growth in the last year.”

The local awardees include Dr. Kate Robinson, owner of Lyndon Pediatrics, as the Woman Owned Business of the Year; Matthew Peirson, owner of Simple Roast Coffee Company, as the Rural Owned Small Business of the Year; and Mark and Alex Williams, partial owners of Savurn Memorials, which is recognized as the Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year.

About the local awardees

Robinson, originally from Tully, knew from the age of eight that she wanted to be a doctor. “Through sacrifice and hard work,” Robinson realized her dream after being educated at both Cornell University in Ithaca and Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

She joined Lyndon Pediatrics in 2011 and became its sole owner in 2017. Robinson “continues to exemplify” the lessons her family taught her about taking care of others by volunteering as a clinical teacher at LeMoyne College and Upstate Medical University, the SBA said.

Peirson is a Central New York native and grew up around the food industry. He received his business education through SUNY Oswego while “continuing to cultivate his passion for the food industry,” SBA said.

He started doing business in 2012 utilizing grass roots options like local church commercial kitchen space and selling his goods at farmers markets. He developed relationships with other entrepreneurs like the Brookses of Coffee Mania and has been able to scale his one kiosk operation to a three-location success.

The father and son team of Mark and Alex Williams are part owners of Savurn Memorials, a family-run business. Mark is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Alex is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. They own the business with wife/mother Shari and Mark’s other son, Zachary.

Savurn Memorials was born from the tragic loss of daughter Savannah in 2016 due to a vehicular accident. The family has worked to grow the business and help other families through difficult times while continuing to honor Savannah, per the SBA announcement.

SBA national recognition

U.S. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler will acknowledge the National Small Business Person of the Year and national runner up, on May 5 at the National Small Business Week kick off and awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Along with awards ceremonies, the week will include a national small business roadshow with Loeffler, a two-day virtual summit, community events and educational sessions about manufacturing, digital marketing, cybersecurity and cryptocurrency, as well as online business resources and renowned speakers.

Visions FCU hires Killeen as VP/chief risk officer

Banks & Credit Unions, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Insurance & Financial Services, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

ENDWELL, N.Y. — Visions Federal Credit Union (FCU) says it has recently hired Patrick Killeen as VP/chief risk officer. Visions describes Killeen as a “seasoned” risk executive with more than 32 years of experience in risk management, internal auditing, operations, and data analytics for financial institutions, per the credit union’s April 9 announcement. As chief

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BPAS announces division leadership change

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Benefit Plans Administration Services, Inc. (BPAS) recently announced a change in leadership as longtime president of its actuarial and pension services (APS) division Vincent Spina steps down from the role. Jason Disco will take on the position and continue to lead the APS division through what has been a period of growth. “I’ve stepped down

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Jason Disco will take on the position and continue to lead the APS division through what has been a period of growth.

“I’ve stepped down from management responsibility and financial reporting responsibility,” Spina tells CNYBJ. He joined BPAS in 2003 when the company acquired PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where Spina served as a partner and market leader for the PwC Global Human Resource Solutions Syracuse office. He served as president of BPAS Actuarial and Pension Services from 2003 until this year.

Spina remains a practicing actuary and will continue to work at BPAS in that capacity. “Jason is the perfect person to take the reins to get us to the next level,” he says.

Disco began his career at BPAS in 2015 and has served as director of defined benefit sales, VP of actuarial and pension sales, senior VP of pension sales and consulting, and most recently as both practice leader of BPAS Creative Plan Design Services and senior VP of pension sales and consulting.

Disco has helped APS integrate several acquisitions during his tenure and is looking to continue that growth as the division’s new president.

The APS division — as well as BPAS as a whole — generated record revenue in 2024, and the goal now is to continue that growth. Disco sees the growth coming both organically and through strategic acquisitions.

His goals include maintaining fiscal responsibility by controlling costs, fostering employee engagement, and implementing technology responsibly.

“We’ve really put an emphasis on making this fun,” Disco says of APS’s efforts to boost employee engagement. The goal is to create a culture where everyone feels responsible and invests in the company’s fiscal health and the role they play in it.

Some initiatives to foster a strong corporate culture include a new employee recognition portal that managers can use to recognize key contributions and efforts from team members. Those employees receive a public “shout out” as well as points that can be redeemed for gifts.

Technology is a big topic this year, especially artificial intelligence (AI), Disco says. “AI is a great thing,” he notes. Thoughtful implementation of AI will help with many tasks, which will free employees up to tackle other things. But technology doesn’t come without risks, and the company will have to remain on top of cybersecurity concerns, he adds.

When it comes to growth, BPAS is one of the top 15 providers, but only makes up about 1 percent of the market, Spina says. The firm remains committed to staying and growing in upstate New York. The APS division has 130 employees, including 34 credentialed actuaries.

BPAS is a provider of employee-benefits administration, trust services, collective investment-fund administration, and actuarial consulting services to customers on a national scale. It is a subsidiary of Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU), a DeWitt–based banking and financial services company whose Community Bank, N.A. unit is among the nation’s 100 largest banks.

Former Pathfinder Bank financial advisor launches his own firm in Fulton

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FULTON, N.Y. — After nearly 15 years of serving clients at Pathfinder Bank in its Investment Services Department, financial advisor Craig Fitzpatrick has started his own firm. Fitzpatrick Financial, a full-service investment firm, has opened for business at 201 S. Second St. (NY-481) in Fulton. “Starting Fitzpatrick Financial has been a dream of mine for

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Community Financial System to pay Q2 dividend of 46 cents

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DeWITT, N.Y. — Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU) announced that it has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 46 cents per share on its common stock for the second quarter of this year. It will pay the dividend on July 10, to shareholders of record as of June 13. The payment yields about 3.5

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The Summit starts two-year, $30,000 support of Sleep in Heavenly Peace

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Summit Federal Credit Union (The Summit) on March 20 announced a two-year, $30,000 commitment to Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) chapters in Syracuse, Buffalo, and Rochester. The Summit will disperse $10,000 to each of the three SHP chapters over the next two years ($5,000 in 2025, $5,000 in 2026) to help

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Summit Federal Credit Union (The Summit) on March 20 announced a two-year, $30,000 commitment to Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) chapters in Syracuse, Buffalo, and Rochester.

The Summit will disperse $10,000 to each of the three SHP chapters over the next two years ($5,000 in 2025, $5,000 in 2026) to help in supporting their mission of “ensuring that no kid sleeps on the floor” in the towns and cities the credit union serves.

The financial donation across all three organizations will total $30,000.

SHP delivers a complete bed to a child: frame, mattress, and all bedding tailored as much as possible to the tastes of the child. In addition to its financial support and bed builds in all three regions that The Summit serves, the credit union will host annual pillow and bedding drives in all its branches to which members will be able to contribute.

“The Summit is committed to making a difference in the communities that we serve,” Laurie Baker, The Summit’s president and CEO, said in the announcement. “A comfortable and safe place to rest is a basic need which many children in our regions simply don’t have. Lack of a restful night’s sleep affects overall health, happiness, and the ability to learn and thrive. By partnering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, we will be able to make an immediate impact on the lives of children and their families.”

About Sleep in Heavenly Peace

What started as a local mission to help neighbors became an “international movement,” as described in the announcement.

“All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. Across the U.S., too many boys and girls go without a bed — or even a pillow — to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, floors, and even piles of dirty clothes,” per the Summit announcement.

Today, SHP has grown to 350 chapters, with thousands of volunteers who have built, assembled, and delivered more than 260,000 beds to children in need.

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Partnering with Mirabito

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About the local awardees

SBA national recognition

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