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FLLT acquires land near wildlife management area
CATHARINE, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) has purchased 30 wooded acres in the town of Catharine, located adjacent to the Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Located off Oak Hill Road, the property shares a boundary with a section of the Finger Lakes Trail that follows along Cayuta Creek. “This latest project […]
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CATHARINE, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) has purchased 30 wooded acres in the town of Catharine, located adjacent to the Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
Located off Oak Hill Road, the property shares a boundary with a section of the Finger Lakes Trail that follows along Cayuta Creek.
“This latest project is the fourth we’ve completed in this area,” FLLT President Andrew Zepp said in a news release announcing the acquisition. “Connecticut Hill encompasses one of the largest intact forests remaining in our region and hosts a diversity of wildlife. Places like this area increasingly important for many reasons, from water quality to carbon sequestration and providing the opportunity for people to connect with nature.”
The FLLT intends to transfer the parcel to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as an addition to the Connecticut Hill WMA, expanding recreational opportunities in the area. With elevations reaching 2,000 feet, the Connecticut Hill WMA is a popular destination for hiking, birding, hunting, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. It’s located about halfway between Ithaca and Horseheads. About half of the WMA is in Tompkins County and the other half is in Schuyler County.
With more than 11,000 acres, Connecticut Hill contains about nine miles of designated hiking trails. It is recognized as one of the state’s important bird areas and is home to a variety of songbirds, as well as a range of mammals — including fishers and black bears.
Connecticut Hill is also a key component of the Emerald Necklace, a proposed greenbelt linking 50,000 acres of existing conservation land in an arc around Ithaca that is a priority project in New York’s Open Space Plan.
Information on the region’s destinations for outdoor recreation, including the Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area, is available online at www.gofingerlakes.org.

CNY closed home sales fall nearly 19 percent in October
But housing inventory, new listings increased SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Realtors closed on the sale of 716 previously owned homes in October in the six-county Central New York area, down 18.9 percent from the 883 existing homes they sold in the year-ago month, according to a recent housing report from the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Realtors closed on the sale of 716 previously owned homes in October in the six-county Central New York area, down 18.9 percent from the 883 existing homes they sold in the year-ago month, according to a recent housing report from the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors (GSAR).
Pending sales fell almost 27 percent to 541 this October from 739 in October 2023. That foreshadows further declines in closed home sales in the next couple of months.
“The Central New York housing market tends to slow down during the final months of the year and 2024 was no exception,” Nancy Quigg, GSAR president, said in the housing report that the association issued on Nov. 20. “There is positive news for buyers in the October data as the number of newly listed homes and overall housing inventory rose, which translates to increased choices as they look for their dream home. Moderating price growth also helps buyers find their next home within their target budget.”
The total inventory of homes for sales in Central New York jumped nearly 38 percent to 1,616 this October from 1,174 a year prior. New listings rose 5.6 percent to 908 in the latest month from 860 in October 2023. Months supply of inventory increased to 2.5 months in October from 1.7 months a year earlier.
“The increase in housing supply will help buyers going forward and position our housing market for growth in 2025,” said Reginia Tuttle, GSAR CEO, adding that Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, recently forecasted a 9 percent gain in national home sales for 2025. Yun also predicted that mortgage rates would fluctuate between 5.5 percent and 6.5 percent. “We believe … Central New York’s housing market is primed to participate in this projected growth, especially as projects such as Micron move forward.”
The October median sales price of $226,000 in the CNY region represented an increase of 0.4 percent from $225,000 in October 2023.
GSAR is the trade association representing more than 2,200 realtors in Central New York. All data is compiled from the Central New York Information Service and includes single-family residential activity in Cayuga, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and Seneca counties.

Guthrie’s Cortlandville health-care campus is now open
Guthrie Clinic collaborates with Cortland firm on the new facility CORTLANDVILLE, N.Y. — The Guthrie Cortland Renzi Health Campus at 4057 West Road in the town of Cortlandville opened to patients on Dec. 9, following its formal-opening event on Dec. 3. The health-care provider says it worked on the project with the McNeil
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CORTLANDVILLE, N.Y. — The Guthrie Cortland Renzi Health Campus at 4057 West Road in the town of Cortlandville opened to patients on Dec. 9, following its formal-opening event on Dec. 3.
The health-care provider says it worked on the project with the McNeil Development Company of Cortland, “bringing new life” to the former JM Murray Center, “choosing to redevelop a vacant property that holds fond memories” for the Cortland community.
“They say it takes a community to raise a child. I like to say it takes a community to raise a community,” David McNeil, owner of the McNeil Development Company, said in the Guthrie announcement. “We have got to continue working together to provide the resources that make a community healthy. Our health care organizations need to provide a high level of quality care in our community, so our residents do not have to travel. There is no one person that can do it by themself.”
The 32,000-square-foot Guthrie Cortland Renzi Health Campus will initially offer imaging, lab, walk-in and expanded primary-care services in a primary-care clinic named in honor of Deborah and Stephen Geibel, according to a Guthrie Clinic announcement.
Beginning this spring, the new space will include multiple specialty-care services, including orthopedics, general surgery, plastic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pain management. The facility also will be home to a telemedicine hub, expanding virtual access to Guthrie experts from across its health system.
Cortland–area donor Nicholas Renzi has pledged $1 million to the new facility, which placed the Renzi name on the health-care campus.
“At Guthrie, we invest when and where there is a need, and we will continue to do so, because we understand the challenges of accessing health care in rural communities,” Edmund Sabanegh, president and CEO of the Guthrie Clinic, said in the announcement. “Through generous gifts such as Nick’s, we’re able to set the standard for rural health care across the nation by delivering innovative, compassionate, and accessible medical services tailored to the unique needs of rural communities.”
At the time of his retirement in 1994, Renzi was serving as senior VP of Pall Corporation, per a Jan. 7, 2021 article on the website of the Central New York Community Foundation. Pall Corp. operates a facility in the Cortland area.
“It has been a privilege and a pleasure to support this new health campus project,” Renzi said in the Guthrie announcement. “The consolidation of existing Guthrie medical services into one building together with the requisite support services is a major step in making The Guthrie Clinic a leader in the Cortland community. For a small town, we have health care facilities that are well suited to service the needs of our people in terms of the breadth of services, availability of services, and the competency of the medical professionals and staff.”
The nonprofit Guthrie Clinic — which is headquartered in Sayre, Pennsylvania — describes itself as a multispecialty health system integrating clinical and hospital care along with research and education. It has six hospital campuses and a network of outpatient facilities across 13 counties.

Mohawk Valley Realtors donate to military program at Sitrin
UTICA, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley Association of Realtors (MVAR) recently presented more than $17,580 to Sitrin for its military program. The Sitrin program provides

Ithaca celebrates completion of three housing developments
ITHACA, N.Y. — New York State Homes and Community Renewal completed a new housing complex with 118 all-electric homes in Ithaca’s Northside Neighborhood and the rehabilitation of two outdated Ithaca Housing Authority properties in a $75 million project. The project preserves and adds to the city of Ithaca’s public-housing options, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced.
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ITHACA, N.Y. — New York State Homes and Community Renewal completed a new housing complex with 118 all-electric homes in Ithaca’s Northside Neighborhood and the rehabilitation of two outdated Ithaca Housing Authority properties in a $75 million project.
The project preserves and adds to the city of Ithaca’s public-housing options, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced.
The project included three housing communities — Northside Apartments, Overlook Terrace, and Southview Gardens.
Overlook Terrace, developed by 3d Development Group and the Ithaca Housing Authority, has five residential buildings with 10 apartments. Southview Gardens has four residential buildings with 26 apartments, a community building, and a laundry/mechanical equipment building. Northside Apartments has 17 buildings with 82 apartments — 12 more than the original development demolished to make way for it — and a community building.
Work at Overlook Terrace and Southview Gardens included mechanical and electrical upgrades; upgraded laundry facilities; new windows, roofs, doors, and flooring; and updated bathrooms, kitchens, and appliances.
The apartments are available for households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income.
“Redeveloping these properties was about more than just renovating buildings,” Ithaca Housing Authority Executive Director Brenda Westfall said in the announcement. “It’s about revitalizing communities, preserving affordability, and creating opportunities for families to thrive. Each improvement we make is an investment in the future, ensuring that everyone has access to safe, dignified, and sustainable housing. It’s a commitment to equity, stability, and the wellbeing of our entire community.”
All three developments are highly energy efficient and all electric. Some of the energy-efficiency measures included in the project are heat-reflective roofing systems with tapered insulation, Energy Star-rated appliances, energy-efficient lighting, and low-flow plumbing fixtures for a projected total energy savings of 15 percent.
State financing for the project included $10.6 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, federal low-income housing tax credits that will generate $29.7 million in equity, and $18.8 million in subsidies from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The project also received
$1.5 million through Homes and Community Renewal’s Clean Energy Initiative program, $9.3 million from the Ithaca Housing Authority, $300,000 from Tompkins County Community Housing Fund, and more than $90,000 from Ithaca Urban Renewal.
“The Ithaca Housing Authority’s Northside Apartments project provides a much-needed infusion of high-quality affordable housing in Tompkins County,” Tompkins County Legislature Chair Dan Klein said. “A lack of affordable housing is at the root of so many issues in Tompkins County. The county is proud to be a small piece of the financing puzzle that brought this project to fruition.”

LeChase Construction adds project manager
SYRACUSE — LeChase Construction Services, LLC recently announced the addition of Noah Gillette as a project engineer, based in its Central New York region. In this role, Gillette will assist project managers and superintendents by managing documentation and helping direct the efforts of project teams during the preconstruction, construction, and post-construction phases of assigned projects,
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SYRACUSE — LeChase Construction Services, LLC recently announced the addition of Noah Gillette as a project engineer, based in its Central New York region.
In this role, Gillette will assist project managers and superintendents by managing documentation and helping direct the efforts of project teams during the preconstruction, construction, and post-construction phases of assigned projects, according to a LeChase news release.
Gillette has two years of previous industry experience, working with other Syracuse–area firms, prior to joining LeChase. He attended Utica University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management. Gillette was a member of the Utica University Student Contractors Association while a student there.
LeChase Construction Services, founded in 1944, is a full-service construction management and general construction firm based in Rochester. It has additional New York state offices in Buffalo, Syracuse, Schenectady, Corning, Binghamton, and Long Island, according to its website. The firm also has offices in New Jersey, Maryland, and North Carolina (2).

JMA Wireless to use $44 million CHIPS award for facility upgrades, new jobs
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — JMA Wireless in Syracuse will use nearly $44 million from the federal CHIPS & Science Law for upgrades to its 5G manufacturing

OCC holds December graduation, nurse-pinning ceremony
ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Onondaga Community College (OCC) awarded associate degrees to about 230 December 2024 graduates during a ceremony held Wednesday evening, Dec. 11. OCC held the ceremony at the SRC Arena on campus at 4585 West Seneca Turnpike. Prior to the graduation ceremony, OCC also held its nurse-pinning ceremony, recognizing 29 students who completed
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ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Onondaga Community College (OCC) awarded associate degrees to about 230 December 2024 graduates during a ceremony held Wednesday evening, Dec. 11.
OCC held the ceremony at the SRC Arena on campus at 4585 West Seneca Turnpike.
Prior to the graduation ceremony, OCC also held its nurse-pinning ceremony, recognizing 29 students who completed their nursing degrees this semester.
The pin they receive “symbolizes their hard work and dedication,” OCC said. Nursing graduates were called up individually and “pinned” by either a professor, a family member, or a friend who is also in the medical profession. The Nurse Honor Guard also participated in the ceremony, welcoming graduating students into the nursing profession.
OCC’s December graduation ceremony included remarks from the student speaker, Karar Abed, a graduate of East Syracuse Minoa (ESM) Central High School who moved to the U.S. from Iraq and plans to become a heart surgeon.
About the speaker
Abed moved to the U.S. in 2016. He learned English and completed several college courses on the way to earning his high school diploma at ESM in June 2023. That fall, he came to OCC where he was part of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the Lillian Slutzker Honors College, and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry program.
During the summer of 2024, OCC says he participated in a summer research program, Bridges to Baccalaureate, at SUNY Binghamton. During his final semester at OCC, he interned at Upstate Medical University in the biochemistry department where his focus was cancer research.
Abed completed his mathematics and science degree at OCC and will transfer to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to major in biochemistry. His goal is to become a heart surgeon, OCC said.

SUNY Poly professor receives $150K in grants for wireless-research project, workshop
MARCY, N.Y. — SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Arjun Singh, an electrical and computer engineering professor, was recently awarded two grants totaling $150,000 from the Air Force

MVCC Foundation inducts four into Hall of Fame
UTICA, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) Foundation inducted four new members into its Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 7, on the Utica Campus. The MVCC Hall of Fame recognizes individuals “who have embraced our community, modeled the way, inspired confidence, and encouraged excellence at MVCC,” the community college
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UTICA, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) Foundation inducted four new members into its Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 7, on the Utica Campus.
The MVCC Hall of Fame recognizes individuals “who have embraced our community, modeled the way, inspired confidence, and encouraged excellence at MVCC,” the community college said in a news release. Selections are also based on business or professional achievements or awards, leadership service to the local community, personal achievements, leadership support and involvement at MVCC, significant contributions to MVCC athletics, and any other appropriate qualifications. This year’s inductees are:
• Dean and Professor Emerita Jennifer A. Boulanger
• Dean and Professor Emerita Marianne Buttenschon
• Administrator Emeritus Dennis B. Rahn
• Professor and Coach Penny Trojan
Much more information on each individual inducted into the MVCC Foundation Hall of Fame is available at: https://halloffame.mvcc.edu.
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