Antique Boat Museum in Clayton breaks ground on new building

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

CLAYTON — The Antique Boat Museum (ABM) in Clayton, in Jefferson County recently broke ground on a new facility that will focus on the care and maintenance of the museum’s permanent boat and engine collections. The new building will “enhance ABM’s capabilities to fulfill its mission to preserve and celebrate fresh-water recreational boats and boating,” […]

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

The new building will “enhance ABM’s capabilities to fulfill its mission to preserve and celebrate fresh-water recreational boats and boating,” per its Nov. 18 announcement. ABM boasts a collection of more than 300 antique and classic boats and thousands of recreational boating artifacts.

ABM is working with BCA Architects & Engineers of Syracuse and Con Tech Building Systems of Gouverneur on the project. The museum has a fundraising goal of $3.5 million for the project, Jess Gould, events and communications coordinator for the Antique Boat Museum, tells CNYBJ in an email.

The boat shop has been designed to provide dedicated spaces for professional repair and maintenance, “ensuring that the museum’s permanent collection can be preserved and showcased at the highest standard,” ABM notes.

The new project will enhance the museum’s preservation efforts and “play a crucial role” in the museum’s educational programming.

“As a chartered institution through New York State’s Education Department, we are committed to providing exceptional learning opportunities for our community,” Rebecca Hopfinger, executive director of the Antique Boat Museum, said in the announcement. “The Boatyard will allow us to expand our educational impact significantly, creating an environment that fosters hands-on learning through year-round classes, potential apprenticeships, and partnerships with higher educational institutions.”

Charles Crow, chairman of the ABM board of directors, called the boat shop project “the keystone to museum objectives in many dimensions.”

“It enables the museum to provide educational opportunities in the varied disciplines associated with marine science, whether an individual’s interests are of a vocational or avocational nature. It is an asset to the museum as an institution, but also, to the community at large,” Crow said. “It provides opportunities to witness and learn tradecraft while serving as another reason to visit and take advantage of all Clayton offers. Just as importantly, the activities in the boat shop will allow for the in-house care and preservation of the entire collection, including the in-water fleet. These in-water boats, whether rowed, sailed, or powered, provide a unique visitor experience into boating’s past. The items in the collection are as much pieces of art as they are the story of commerce, transportation, and pleasure on the water historically, all of which is better told and enhanced through the boat shop.”

A special dedication of the new building is slated for September 2025 during the Antique & Classic Boat Society’s 50th Anniversary Meeting and Boat Show, which will be sited at the Antique Boat Museum’s waterfront.

MOST Foundation board elects three new directors

Nonprofits, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) recently announced it has elected three new directors to its foundation board for a three-year term beginning in 2025. Joining the 2025 MOST Foundation board of directors are the following: • Isabelle Harris is chief of staff to Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. In

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SYRACUSE — The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) recently announced it has elected three new directors to its foundation board for a three-year term beginning in 2025.

Joining the 2025 MOST Foundation board of directors are the following:

• Isabelle Harris is chief of staff to Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. In her role, she oversees day-to-day operations of the office of the county executive, serving as liaison to multiple community organizations and supervising multiple departments within county government. Harris currently serves on several local boards, including the Landmark Theatre board of directors, Home HeadQuarters, Inc., and the Onondaga County community development steering committee.

• Kimberly Sadowski is VP and chief financial officer at the Central New York Community Foundation, where she leads the organization’s finance, administration, and information technology and oversees budget development, investment strategy, financial reporting, and regulatory compliance. Sadowski currently serves as the board treasurer of AccessCNY.

•

Corin Zimmer is the executive VP of business development at Luck Grove, where he leads the company’s growth initiatives across diverse sectors. A seasoned entrepreneur, he founded and managed multiple businesses, most recently acquiring Urban Life Athletics, a HIIT gym in Syracuse. He co-owned Arboxy LLC, a web-development firm, and has extensive experience in sales and project management. Zimmer is a board member of the Central New York Red Shoe Society.

The MOST also announced that Andrew Flamik, chief financial officer at Usherwood Office Technology, and Michael Brunner, president, Bank of America – Central New York, completed their terms on the MOST Foundation board of directors and have joined the MOST board of trustees for the 2025 term.

The museum has two boards: The MOST board of trustees, which is tasked with overseeing the day-to-day operations, and the foundation board of directors, which raises funds for the museum’s operating budget.

The MOST is a hands-on science and technology museum located in Armory Square in downtown Syracuse. The MOST says it is focused on dynamic science education that engages learners of all ages and abilities. It features 35,000 square feet of interactive permanent and traveling exhibits plus the state-of-the-art National Grid ExploraDome theatre. The museum operates numerous STEM education programs and community outreach events throughout the year. The MOST’s mission is to provide informal science learning experiences that ignite curiosity, encourage discovery, and inspire investigation.

Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties partners to guide growth at UpMobility Foundation

Nonprofits, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

UTICA — The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties is partnering with UpMobility Foundation (UMF) to help the organization as it grows and builds capacity, the two foundations announced recently. “We are thrilled to collaborate with UpMobility Foundation in this transformative partnership because, in the end, it’s the community that benefits,” Community Foundation President/CEO

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

“We are thrilled to collaborate with UpMobility Foundation in this transformative partnership because, in the end, it’s the community that benefits,” Community Foundation President/CEO Alicia Fernandez Dicks said in a statement. “Through this work, we will assist them in building a high-performing team, excelling in governance, articulating strategy, and ultimately enhancing the impact of their investments in this community and beyond.”

Based in Little Falls, UMF works to forge partnerships and collaborative efforts with nonprofit organizations, offering support beyond just grant funding. The foundation says its impact areas include catalyzing initiatives to build strong families and communities, advancing entrepreneurship and education, strengthening democracy through reforming government, and international development aimed at uplifting people to achieve their potential.

Since 2023, UMF has been a major supporter of the Community Foundation’s Mohawk Valley Gives day of giving, serving as co-lead for the event this year.

“The Community Foundation is a long-term ally that shares our collective vision for the community,” UMF Interim Executive Director and Board Member Peggy O’Shea said. “This groundbreaking partnership will significantly enhance UMF’s ability to scale our organization’s capacity and create lasting transformation in our communities and economy.”

The initial phase of the partnership will include hiring a new interim executive director while O’Shea continues serving on UMF’s board of directors. The Community Foundation has already begun searching for a new interim executive director for UMF. Once hired, the new director will work under the guidance of the Community Foundation’s leadership and alongside UMF’s board.

“UpMobility Foundation has reached a turning point, and we are excited to head down this new path with a partner like the Community Foundation by our side,” UMF Founder and Board Chair Martin Babinec said. “I am truly grateful to Peggy O’Shea for helping take UpMobility from an idea to a major funder in the Mohawk Valley and beyond. She will continue to guide us forward in her role on the UMF board as we take this next step in scaling up the volume and impact of our contributions across our core investing themes.”

The Community Foundation will further support UMF in strengthening its core operations from strategic planning to daily administration.

MACNY to use $6.5M state grant to expand pre-apprenticeship programs

Education & Training, Manufacturing & Engineering, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

DeWITT — DeWitt–based MACNY, the Manufacturers Association, will use $6.5 million in state funding to expand its direct entry pre-apprenticeship programs to areas beyond the Mohawk Valley. The $6.5 million grant will enable the nonprofit MACNY to extend its Real Life Rosies and Advance 2 Apprenticeship pre-apprenticeship training programs to multiple regions across New York

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

DeWITT — DeWitt–based MACNY, the Manufacturers Association, will use $6.5 million in state funding to expand its direct entry pre-apprenticeship programs to areas beyond the Mohawk Valley.

The $6.5 million grant will enable the nonprofit MACNY to extend its Real Life Rosies and Advance 2 Apprenticeship pre-apprenticeship training programs to multiple regions across New York state, including Central New York, Capital Region, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Western New York, and New York City.

These efforts will “significantly increase access to high-quality, industry-recognized training” in advanced manufacturing, nanotechnology, and clean energy, MACNY said in its announcement.

The office of Gov. Kathy Hochul first announced the funding on Dec. 5, which is part of more than $15.5 million earmarked to support workforce initiatives across New York. The Empire State Development Office of Strategic Workforce Development awarded the MACNY grant.

These programs, which MACNY launched in 2023 in the Mohawk Valley, “have already proven successful” in introducing underrepresented communities — including women and people with disabilities — to careers in advanced manufacturing, MACNY contended its announcement.

To date, the Real Life Rosies program has introduced more than 100 trainees to advanced-manufacturing careers. The expansion will scale the original pre-apprenticeship program, MACNY said.

The Real Life Rosies program provides hands-on training and direct-entry pathways into apprenticeships for women and marginalized populations while also providing wrap-around services such as childcare and transportation, MACNY said. Likewise, the Advance 2 Apprenticeship program will work with local SUNY community colleges to offer training in the fields of semiconductor manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, and green energy.

Working with partners

In the expansion, MACNY says it’s collaborating with nonprofit organizations like the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) in Albany and Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA). MACNY will provide trainees with the “skills needed to succeed in sectors vital to the future of New York’s economy.”

“Real Life Rosies creates a supportive apprenticeship pathway for women to access good-paying careers in manufacturing,” Katie Newcombe, chief economic-development officer at CEG, said in the MACNY announcement. “This direct-entry model not only provides life-changing opportunities for women, but it also enhances our diverse, trained, and growing workforce for local manufacturers. The Center for Economic Growth is excited to continue its longstanding partnership with MACNY by helping to launch and manage Real Life Rosies in the Capital Region.”

“RTMA plans to expand Women in Manufacturing events, create a Real Life Rosies program, and grow the Advance 2 Apprenticeship efforts in the Finger Lakes, engaging underrepresented populations in advanced manufacturing,” Bob Coyne, executive director of the RTMA, said in the MACNY announcement. “These initiatives will provide registered apprenticeship opportunities with support from New York State workforce development funding. We would like to thank Governor Hochul for her vision and support in advancing economic growth in the region.”

MACNY says its programs are part of New York’s broader $60 million investment made to support workforce development across the state. To date, these efforts have impacted nearly 15,000 New Yorkers, with funding from both the state and private sector totaling more than $65 million. The initiative is focused on “building diverse, skilled talent pipelines and addressing critical workforce shortages in emerging industries,” per MACNY’s announcement.

OPINION: N.Y.’s Public-Safety Priorities Need To Change Immediately

Opinion, Subscriber Only

New Yorkers’ concerns about crime and public safety haven’t subsided since Albany’s botched criminal-justice “reforms” in recent years. In fact, the shortcomings of Democrats’ policies and inadequate prosecutorial priorities become more glaring with time. A recent Siena Poll shows a majority of New Yorkers believe crime has worsened in the past year. Amid heightened tensions,

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Amid heightened tensions, law-abiding citizens want action. They’re getting just the opposite. The high-profile case of Daniel Penny in New York City shows how backwards progressive prosecutors have become. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should never have prosecuted the former Marine. Thankfully, a jury acquitted Penny [on Dec. 9]. Bragg’s handling of this case is emblematic of his and other Democrats’ broader failure to prioritize public safety and fairness during his tenure. His outright refusal to prosecute certain criminal offenses while pursuing politically driven prosecutions has emboldened criminals and sent a dangerous message.

This case has brought renewed attention to the dire consequences of Bragg’s policies and the need for direct action. In an effort to provide voters with the tools to hold elected officials accountable, I introduced a constitutional amendment (A.9334) that would allow for the recall of a district attorney. The recall would be initiated by a petition signed by voters within the county. Finally, people would have a mechanism to remove officials who fail to uphold the law.

This call to action was inspired by the successful recall election in San Francisco. Former District Attorney Chesa Boudin was removed from office in 2022 by voters for his soft-on-crime approach to the job. Alvin Bragg is no different and New Yorkers should be afforded the same opportunity. Prosecutors who fail to hold criminals accountable only exacerbate the problem.

In the coming months, the New York Legislature will have the opportunity to reconsider the deeply flawed criminal-justice changes that have swept an era of lawlessness across the state. Issues such as bail reform, Raise the Age, the parole system, mask bans, and cooperation with immigration agencies need to be reconsidered and corrective measures implemented.

The actions taken by Daniel Penny wouldn’t be necessary if the justice system weren’t compromised by left-wing political ideologies jeopardizing public safety. It is essential to reexamine these policies and, once again, prioritize the safety of our communities. Refusing to put the interests of law-abiding citizens before those of the most violent and dangerous individuals in our community is a gross dereliction of duty. I urge my colleagues to consider this much-needed measure of accountability and restoration of power to the people.

William (Will) A. Barclay, 55, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.

OPINION: On Improving Elections, Americans Take a Pass

Opinion, Subscriber Only

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

One of the things I have always appreciated about American elections is that the results are always fascinating — a glimpse into our communal likes, dislikes, and moods. Sometimes, though, they’re also perplexing, a reason to step back and wonder why the results turned out as they did. That’s where I found myself after this year’s general elections — not so much because of who got elected, but because of how voters decided to approach the electoral process itself.

Year after year, Americans tell pollsters that they don’t like partisanship and, overall, prefer candidates who are moderate rather than extreme. These characteristics have been harder to find in recent decades, for any number of reasons. Districts drawn every 10 years to pack Republicans into some districts and Democrats into others produce nominees who tend toward the extremes. Winner-take-all primaries tend to attract the most motivated voters. Head-to-head matchups in the general election give voters a binary choice that often doesn’t meet their desires.

As it happens, there were a raft of ballot initiatives this year that offered voters a chance to address some of these issues, especially by re-jiggering the system to make it more likely that candidates would have to appeal to voters beyond their base. And in state after state, they went down to defeat.

It wasn’t universal. Bucking the trend, for instance, a few cities — including Washington, D.C. and Bloomington, Minnesota — decided to try ranked-choice voting, in which voters rank their candidates from most to least favorite. But at the state level — in Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, and Oregon — voters said they weren’t interested. The one state-level exception was Alaska, which has had ranked-choice voting since 2022; the system survived an attempt to repeal it by just a few hundred votes, with its support in Native Alaskan communities making all the difference. Similarly, efforts to install open primaries, in which the top vote-getters would advance to the general election regardless of party, also went down to defeat in state after state.

In Ohio, where an anti-gerrymandering initiative was on the ballot in the form of a proposal to create a citizen-led redistricting committee rather than leave the process to legislators, some 53 percent of voters cast their ballots opposing it. To be sure, reform advocates charged both before and after the election that the description of the initiative adopted by the state’s Ballot Board was confusing, and that some voters who thought they were voting for a commission mistakenly wound up voting against it.

But for the most part, the failure of election-reform efforts this year can’t be laid at the feet of poor wording. Instead, they fell victim both to this year’s highly charged political climate and to strong opposition from the Republican and Democratic parties, which had no interest in seeing their power watered down. “I think these initiatives were largely swept up in a highly polarized climate in which any suggestions of changing voter rules were met with suspicion among voters,” the leader of one national reform group told NPR right after the election. “And then that’s amplified by the fact that you have both political parties and their aligned special interests fighting tooth and nail against these initiatives and planting doubt among voters.”

Changes to the electoral system are hard to sell. Even in the best of times, the mechanics of ranked-choice voting are difficult to explain; and while open primaries might be embraced by independents and other non-affiliated voters, party faithful are more likely to look at them with suspicion.

Still, many voters are tired of the extreme partisanship and legislating-from-the-margins they’ve witnessed over the last decade and more. Making changes to the electoral process in ways that would strengthen the political middle is a legitimate way to approach the problem. But it’s clear that before that can happen, reformers will have to clarify the benefits — and find a way to reassure voters they’re not trying to throw the advantage to one party or the other.

Lee Hamilton, 93, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.

VIEWPOINT: Employment Law Updates for 2025 in New York

Business Mentors, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

As 2024 comes to a close, New York State prepares for the rollout of new employment laws and regulations in the coming year. While not an exhaustive summary, this article highlights key developments and updates in employment law for 2025. Minimum-wage increases Effective Jan. 1, 2025, the hourly minimum wage for the New York City

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Minimum-wage increases

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, the hourly minimum wage for the New York City metro area, which includes New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, will increase from $16.00 to $16.50. Wages across the rest of New York state (excluding New York City, Westchester, and Long Island) will rise from $15.00 to $15.50. Also, effective Jan. 1, 2025, are changes to the tip credit for food-service workers. In New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, the tip credit for food-service workers will be increased from $5.35 to $5.50. For service workers, the tip credit will go up from $2.65 to $2.75. Other than New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, the tip credit for food-service workers in New York will rise from $5.00 to $5.15 and the tip credit for service workers will be increased from $2.50 to $2.60.

Salary-exempt threshold changes

Employees may be exempt from overtime requirements depending on their job duties. On Jan. 1, 2025, the new weekly minimum salary threshold for exempt status will increase to $1,237.50 from $1,200.00 in New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. For the rest of New York state, the new weekly minimum salary is $1,161.65 per week, up from $1,124.20.

New York Retail Worker Safety Act

On Sept. 5, 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the New York Retail Worker Safety Act into law. Covered retail employers have until March 4, 2025 to ensure compliance with the law’s new requirements for the adoption of polices and training for workplace-violence prevention. Specifically, the new law requires a workplace-violence prevention policy that: (1) outlines a list of factors or situations in the workplace that might place retail employees at risk of workplace violence, (2) outlines methods that the employer may use to prevent incidents of workplace violence, (3) includes information concerning the federal and state statutory provisions concerning violence against retail workers and remedies available to victims of violence, and (4) states that retaliation against individuals who complain of workplace violence, or who testify or assist in any is unlawful. The New York Retail Worker Safety Act also requires a workplace-violence prevention training program providing, among other things, information on the requirements under the law, active-shooter drills, and training on areas of previous security problems. Finally, effective Jan. 1, 2027, covered retail employers with 500 or more retail employees nationwide must provide access to “panic” buttons throughout the workplace to summon immediate assistance from law enforcement.

End of COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave

COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave expires on July 31, 2025. After that date, employees will need to use existing paid leave, such as New York State’s Paid Sick Leave or New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time to manage care or isolate for COVID-19.

Paid Prenatal Leave

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, employers are required to provide employees with 20 hours of prenatal personal leave during any 52-week calendar period. Paid prenatal leave is to be provided in addition to other existing sick leave. The leave may be taken for health-care services such as physical examinations, medical procedures, monitoring and testing, and discussions with health-care providers related to pregnancy. Paid prenatal leave may be taken in and must be paid in one-hour increments. Additionally, the use of the language “their pregnancy” indicates the law covers only pregnant employees and not spouses. The law does not state employees must work for a specified period before being eligible for prenatal leave. Employers are not required to pay an employee for unused paid prenatal leave upon termination, resignation, or other separation from employment.

For more information, you can visit New York State’s website dedicated to paid prenatal leave: https://www.ny.gov/programs/new-york-state-paid-prenatal-leave.

Key takeaways

Considering these recent and upcoming employment law developments, employers should review and update their employee handbooks, bring their job advertisements into compliance and revise their hiring practices as they relate to employee policies and wage practices.

Samuel G. Dobre, Mallory A. Campbell, and Patrick J. Caldarelli are associate attorneys in the New York City office of the Syracuse–based law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC. This article is drawn and edited from the New York Labor and Employment Law Report blog on Bond’s website.

National Grid agrees to $1 million settlement to resolve violations in Oneida natural-gas explosion case

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Mohawk Valley, New York News

ONEIDA, N.Y. — National Grid (NYSE: NGG) has agreed to a $1 million settlement with the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) that would

Finger Lakes Distilling opens second location

Southern Tier, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Manufacturing & Engineering, New York News, Small Business, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

NEWFIELD, N.Y. — Finger Lakes Distilling has opened a second location at 1143 Elmira Road in Newfield, in Tompkins County. While initially intended to support storage needs for barrels and finished goods, the facility will also serve as bottling location in the future. No distilling takes place on site, but the location does offer an

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Potential buyer emerges for Remington Firearms facility in Ilion

Featured, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Manufacturing & Engineering, Mohawk Valley, New York News

ILION, N.Y. — The closed Remington Firearms facility in Ilion may soon have a new owner. The Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency (HCIDA) announced that

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Get our email updates

What's New

Upcoming Events

Project Homecoming Job & Career Fair 2025

Annual Nonprofit Conference 2026

2026 CenterState CEO Economic Forecast Breakfast

CNYBJ Job Board

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Working with partners

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Minimum-wage increases

Salary-exempt threshold changes

New York Retail Worker Safety Act

End of COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave

Paid Prenatal Leave

Key takeaways

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get our email updates