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County Fairs Promote Sense of Community & Boost Local Tourism
Across New York state, we have many county fairs, festivals, and events taking place this summer, and the Finger Lakes Region is no exception. County fairs, in particular, are a big draw to some communities and help local businesses with economic growth and exposure, particularly in the agri-tourism sector. I invite you and your family, […]
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Across New York state, we have many county fairs, festivals, and events taking place this summer, and the Finger Lakes Region is no exception. County fairs, in particular, are a big draw to some communities and help local businesses with economic growth and exposure, particularly in the agri-tourism sector.
I invite you and your family, maybe even family visiting from out of state, to check out [the county fair in your area.] These long-running events are designed to encourage fair-goers to have fun, learn something new, and enjoy the opportunities offered.
Steeped in tradition, fairs promise fun for visitors of all ages
Each summer, generations of fair-goers, vendors, organizers, and exhibitors gather for more than 50 county fairs across the state. [They are held primarily in July and August].
From one end of the state to another, county fairs showcase local agriculture and businesses, and the impact they have on state and local tourism and economic development. Daily programs and events are also available to promote community involvement and enhance visitors’ connections with the county and region. Additionally, fairs offer wholesome family entertainment, a wide variety of food and delectable treats, rides, games, and an eclectic assortment of vendors and artisans.
The New York State Association of Agricultural Fairs offers a complete listing of county fairs at: http://www.nyfairs.org/Fairsbydate.htm.
Stand with farmers, support one of the state’s top industries
Agriculture is the one of the state’s leading industries and I can’t think of a better way to show support for our farmers than to visit a county fair to learn more about their impact on our daily lives. From raising livestock to producing fruits and vegetables and harvesting grains, the state’s more than 35,000 farms are integral to our way of life and our ability to provide wholesome food for our families, as well as to those across the state and nation.
The hard-working men, women, and families of the farming and agriculture industry are part of what make our state great. I am proud to say that the Finger Lakes Region is home to some of the best farms in the country and it has been a privilege to meet and serve the men and women who have worked to make the region world-class.
Please join me in celebrating and thanking those who have dedicated their lives to sustaining this vital industry. This weekend and this summer, put on your walking shoes, pack up the family and head to a county fair near you for a fun-filled and educational experience.
Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C–Canandaigua), a former small-business owner, is the New York Assembly Minority Leader and represents the 131st Assembly District, which encompasses all of Ontario County and parts of Seneca County. Contact him at kolbb@nyassembly.gov
Bill Would Restore Hunting on Lands Held in Trust by SUNY-ESF
In the fall of 2013, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) announced that it would ban hunting with firearms on 5,300 acres of its property in the Adirondacks. The ban was a result of the ill-conceived SAFE Act that was enacted earlier that same year. I am pleased to report that an amendment
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In the fall of 2013, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) announced that it would ban hunting with firearms on 5,300 acres of its property in the Adirondacks. The ban was a result of the ill-conceived SAFE Act that was enacted earlier that same year. I am pleased to report that an amendment recently passed both the New York Assembly and the Senate that enables the college to restore hunting on this property. It is my hope that this bill is signed by Gov. Cuomo so the time-honored tradition of hunting will be restored on the land to attract people to the area and keep the wildlife populations in check.
Setting aside the infringements the SAFE Act has on our 2nd Amendment rights, its rushed implementation also has had unintended consequences. In this case, it created felony penalties for possessing a rifle, shotgun, or firearm in or upon a building or grounds used for educational purposes. While the law provided an exemption for land owned by SUNY-ESF, it did not contain an exemption for property that is held in trust for SUNY-ESF, which includes 5,300 acres in the Adirondacks.
Without mention of “land held in trust,” under the law an individual who possesses a firearm on these premises in the Adirondacks could be charged with a Class E felony. As a result, SUNY-ESF made the decision to ban hunting on its Adirondacks properties to prevent hunters from being charged with a serious crime. This legislation makes the technical changes in existing law to once again open up these areas for hunting.
This isn’t the only example of unintended consequences the rushed process created when Gov. Cuomo used a message of necessity and bypassed the three-day waiting period to get the SAFE Act passed. Shortly after the legislation was adopted, the legislature had to go back and fix the law because it could have made criminals out of active duty police officers possessing weapons on school grounds. Other proposed amendments, like the SUNY-ESF amendment, have been left to linger. I am urging the governor to quickly sign this legislation so hunting can be restored in time for the fall.
William (Will) A. Barclay is the Republican representative of the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact him at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us or (315) 598-5185.

Dermody, Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC recently hired ALYSSA HURLEY as an administrative assistant in its Syracuse office. She works in the retirement plan design & administration services department at the firm and has previous professional service experience in the banking industry. Hurley received her associate degree from Onondaga Community College.
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Dermody, Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC recently hired ALYSSA HURLEY as an administrative assistant in its Syracuse office. She works in the retirement plan design & administration services department at the firm and has previous professional service experience in the banking industry. Hurley received her associate degree from Onondaga Community College.

Solvay Bank has named JONNA DENNEN-MINER assistant VP and consumer lending manager. She brings 17 years of banking experience to the position. Dennen-Miner previously worked as a systems analyst at NBT Bank, according to her LinkedIn profile. Before that, she served as a compliance specialist at the New York Credit Union Association. Her other prior
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Solvay Bank has named JONNA DENNEN-MINER assistant VP and consumer lending manager. She brings 17 years of banking experience to the position. Dennen-Miner previously worked as a systems analyst at NBT Bank, according to her LinkedIn profile. Before that, she served as a compliance specialist at the New York Credit Union Association. Her other prior positions include stints at Community Bank System, Alliance Bank, and Manpower, Inc.

City of Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh recently announced three appointments in the City of Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD). JENNIFER TIFFT has been named deputy commissioner. Reporting to Commissioner Stephanie Pasquale, Tifft will be responsible for the day to day oversight and supervision of the staff of the business development, neighborhood planning, program administration,
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Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh recently announced three appointments in the City of Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD).
JENNIFER TIFFT has been named deputy commissioner. Reporting to Commissioner Stephanie Pasquale, Tifft will be responsible for the day to day oversight and supervision of the staff of the business development, neighborhood planning, program administration, fiscal, and minority affairs divisions. Formerly a senior manager at Deloitte Consulting, she will bring her experience in government strategy and operations to the staff. She has more than 13 years with Deloitte. Tifft recently served as the chief of staff for Deloitte’s future of mobility practice. She is a graduate of Syracuse University with an MPA from the Maxwell School and a J.D. from the College of Law. She is also a certified project management professional (PMP).
ERIC ENNIS has been promoted to director of business development. He has worked with the City of Syracuse in community development roles since 2014. In his new position, he has assumed responsibility for driving business and economic development in the city. Ennis also serves as the executive director of the Syracuse Economic Development Corporation. He is a graduate of Syracuse University with an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from the School of Architecture and Planning from the University at Buffalo.
JUDY DELANEY has been appointed as the new executive director of Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA). In her previous role at NBD as economic development specialist, she helped businesses seeking to grow with financing options through SIDA and the Syracuse Local Development Corporation. DeLaney has worked for the city to advance economic-development efforts for nearly 19 years. She has also worked in the private sector as a bank manager with expertise in commercial lending.

Bankers Healthcare Group has hired LAUREN KERR as an accounting clerk I. She is a recent graduate of Le Moyne College, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Kerr previously worked at Eye Solutions of Syracuse as an ophthalmic scribe and administrative assistant and at Dannible & McKee, LLP as an audit intern.
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Bankers Healthcare Group has hired LAUREN KERR as an accounting clerk I. She is a recent graduate of Le Moyne College, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Kerr previously worked at Eye Solutions of Syracuse as an ophthalmic scribe and administrative assistant and at Dannible & McKee, LLP as an audit intern.

Bousquet Holstein PLLC has elected JOSEPH J. PORCELLO as a member of the firm, and PHILIP S. BOUSQUET has been re-elected to serve on the firm’s board of managers. Porcello joined Bousquet Holstein in 2018, after previously having practiced for more than a decade at the Pittsburgh–based law firm, K&L Gates LLP. He is a
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Bousquet Holstein PLLC has elected JOSEPH J. PORCELLO as a member of the firm, and PHILIP S. BOUSQUET has been re-elected to serve on the firm’s board of managers.
Porcello joined Bousquet Holstein in 2018, after previously having practiced for more than a decade at the Pittsburgh–based law firm, K&L Gates LLP. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from James Madison University in Virginia.
Bousquet has been member of Bousquet Holstein since its formation in 2000 and was a principal in its predecessor firm. He leads the firm’s business law and brownfield practice groups, and first served on the firm’s board of managers from 2009 to 2014. Bousquet is a graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law and Syracuse University School of Management. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Kenyon College in Ohio.

Massage Envy of Rochester / Syracuse
Massage Envy of Rochester / Syracuse has hired EMILY WALKER as a wellness consultant in its Fayetteville location; DANIELLE LEWIS as a wellness consultant in the Clay location; and STEPHANIE RICE as a licensed massage therapist in the Fayetteville location.
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Massage Envy of Rochester / Syracuse has hired EMILY WALKER as a wellness consultant in its Fayetteville location; DANIELLE LEWIS as a wellness consultant in the Clay location; and STEPHANIE RICE as a licensed massage therapist in the Fayetteville location.

MADISON DRESCHER has joined the Syracuse University volleyball program as an assistant coach. After a successful playing career with the Oklahoma Sooners, Drescher begins her collegiate coaching career at Syracuse. She first tested the coaching waters in 2016 as the head coach of Oklahoma Elite, a club team based out of Norman, Oklahoma. From 2015-18,
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MADISON DRESCHER has joined the Syracuse University volleyball program as an assistant coach. After a successful playing career with the Oklahoma Sooners, Drescher begins her collegiate coaching career at Syracuse. She first tested the coaching waters in 2016 as the head coach of Oklahoma Elite, a club team based out of Norman, Oklahoma. From 2015-18, she was a letter-winner at Oklahoma, where she earned All-Big XII academic first team honors all four years. As a junior, Drescher was named preseason All-Big XII. A natural leader, Drescher was team captain in each of her final two seasons with the Sooners. A graduate of Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, Drescher was an all-state selection and was named all-district first team as a senior. Off the court, Drescher spent time volunteering in the Norman community and visited Haiti on a mission trip that helped rebuild local villages.

STEPHEN BURT has joined Pelco Component Technologies as operations manager. He will manage the utilization of equipment, facilities, and personnel and plan, schedule, and monitor production in Pelco’s Cazenovia and Mexicali locations. Burt succeeds Dale Henry, director of manufacturing, who has retired after 43 years of service and extensive growth at the company. Burt is
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STEPHEN BURT has joined Pelco Component Technologies as operations manager. He will manage the utilization of equipment, facilities, and personnel and plan, schedule, and monitor production in Pelco’s Cazenovia and Mexicali locations. Burt succeeds Dale Henry, director of manufacturing, who has retired after 43 years of service and extensive growth at the company. Burt is an RIT graduate in electrical engineering, with more than a decade of experience at Central New York manufacturing companies. He previously worked at Marquardt Switches, Inc. North America in Cazenovia for seven years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Burt served as a test lab engineer and later as a process engineer. Before that, he worked at Benchmark Media Systems, Inc. as an engineering technologist.
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