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Blazosky to depart Oneida County Tourism at end of June
UTICA, N.Y. — After 14 years, Oneida County Tourism President Kelly Blazosky will step down, effective June 30. Blazosky is leaving due to the expansion

Syracuse WorkForce Run gears up for bigger, better event this year
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — With a successful 2022 event behind them, organizers are gearing up for an even bigger Syracuse WorkForce Run this year, a month

Dryden Family Medicine to join Cayuga Medical Associates in June
DRYDEN, N.Y. — Dryden Family Medicine will become part of Cayuga Medical Associates (CMA) as of June 1. The new practice will be re-named Cayuga

People news: Hancock Estabrook adds corporate attorney Appler as partner
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Hancock Estabrook, LLP announced it has added corporate and commercial real-estate attorney, John R. Appler, as a partner in the firm. He

Christopher Community appoints Lutz as controller
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Christopher Community, Inc. — a nonprofit that develops and operates safe, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families — has announced the appointment of John Lutz as controller. “John’s previous accounting and management experience will be of great benefit to our non-profit as we continue to grow our development and
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Christopher Community, Inc. — a nonprofit that develops and operates safe, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families — has announced the appointment of John Lutz as controller.
“John’s previous accounting and management experience will be of great benefit to our non-profit as we continue to grow our development and management portfolios,” Christopher Community President and CEO Justin Rudgick said in a release.
Lutz worked most recently as the controller at Frazer & Jones in Solvay, and previously as an accounting manager for Pyramid Management Group in Syracuse.
A resident of Syracuse, Lutz has a master’s degree in accounting from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Le Moyne College in Syracuse.
Established in 1971, Christopher Community currently manages more than 3,000 units and more than 100 buildings, as well as administers Onondaga County’s Rental Assistance Program which serves over 1,200 households. The organization serves communities across New York state, including Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Utica, Watertown, Oswego, Cortland, Elmira, and Canandaigua.
Lockheed Martin’s suburban Syracuse plant wins more than $73 million Navy order
SALINA, N.Y. — Lockheed Martin Corp.’s (NYSE: LMT) facility just north of Syracuse has recently been awarded a $73.1 million contract order for the procurement of submarine-modernization kits, equipment, and installation. Work on the cost-plus-incentive-fee delivery order will be performed in the town of Salina and is expected to be completed by August 2025, according
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SALINA, N.Y. — Lockheed Martin Corp.’s (NYSE: LMT) facility just north of Syracuse has recently been awarded a $73.1 million contract order for the procurement of submarine-modernization kits, equipment, and installation.
Work on the cost-plus-incentive-fee delivery order will be performed in the town of Salina and is expected to be completed by August 2025, according to an April 10 contract announcement from the U.S. Department of Defense. Lockheed Martin Rotary & Mission Systems has 2,170 full-time employees at its plant at 497 Electronics Parkway in Salina, according to a company spokesperson.
Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds totaling $73,117,937 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year, per the contract announcement. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. is the contracting activity.
Jefferson County hotel occupancy slips 5 percent in March
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Jefferson County hotels registered fewer overnight guests in March, but two other indicators of business performance improved. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county fell 5 percent to 45 percent in the third month of 2023 from March 2022, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel
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WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Jefferson County hotels registered fewer overnight guests in March, but two other indicators of business performance improved.
The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county fell 5 percent to 45 percent in the third month of 2023 from March 2022, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel market data and analytics company.
Revenue per available room (RevPar), a key industry gauge that measures how much money hotels are bringing in per available room, increased 2.8 percent to $45.74 in March compared to the year-prior month.
Average daily rate (ADR), which represents the average rental rate for a sold room, rose 8.2 percent to $101.66 in March from the same month in 2022.

United Way of CNY board elects eight directors, approves officer slate
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — United Way of Central New York’s board of directors has voted unanimously to add eight new directors and approve the slate of officers, the nonprofit announced on May 4. The eight new directors are Brian Butler, Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC; Marcelle Haddix, Syracuse University; Karina Hernandez, Eaton Crouse-Hinds; Courtney Merriman, Barclay
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — United Way of Central New York’s board of directors has voted unanimously to add eight new directors and approve the slate of officers, the nonprofit announced on May 4.
The eight new directors are Brian Butler, Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC; Marcelle Haddix, Syracuse University; Karina Hernandez, Eaton Crouse-Hinds; Courtney Merriman, Barclay Damon; William Patrick, Equitable; Shaun Stimpson, Mitten Fluidpower Corporation; Gwendolyn Sykes, SRC; and Ashley White, Anheuser-Busch.
The current slate of United Way of CNY officers are:
• Chair: Evelyn Ingram, Wegmans Food Markets
• Vice Chair: Kerry Tarolli, King + King Architects LLP
• Treasurer: Martha Winslow, Saab, Inc.
• Secretary: James D. Freyer, Jr., Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc.
• Immediate Past Chair: Stephanie A. Crockett, Mower
The board members serve a three-year term, while officers are approved annually, per the United Way.

Syracuse University Press names director
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Catherine Cocks was recently appointed director of Syracuse University Press, which is part of Syracuse University Libraries. Cocks was previously interim director of Michigan State University’s Press, where she also served as assistant director and editor-in-chief. She has more than 20 years of experience in academic publishing, having worked as senior acquisitions
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Catherine Cocks was recently appointed director of Syracuse University Press, which is part of Syracuse University Libraries.
Cocks was previously interim director of Michigan State University’s Press, where she also served as assistant director and editor-in-chief. She has more than 20 years of experience in academic publishing, having worked as senior acquisitions editor at the University of Washington Press and editorial director at the University of Iowa Press.
Cocks holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Davis and a bachelor’s degree in history and Spanish from Williams College. She has served on several professional committees for the Association of University Presses (AUPresses) and is currently a member of a joint taskforce on career progression of the AUPresses and the Society for Scholarly Publishing, as well as the National Humanities Alliance working group on publishing publicly engaged humanities projects. She is also a published author of three scholarly books.

Joint venture Paradise Galaxy buys Syracuse Nationals car show
CAMILLUS — The largest car show in the Northeast, which annually draws enthusiasts to the New York State Fairgrounds in mid-July, has a new owner. The Syracuse Nationals car show is now under the ownership of Paradise Galaxy LLC, a joint venture between locally owned businesses Paradise Companies and Galaxy Media Partners, has purchased the
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CAMILLUS — The largest car show in the Northeast, which annually draws enthusiasts to the New York State Fairgrounds in mid-July, has a new owner.
The Syracuse Nationals car show is now under the ownership of Paradise Galaxy LLC, a joint venture between locally owned businesses Paradise Companies and Galaxy Media Partners, has purchased the Syracuse Nationals. Both companies are based in Syracuse.
The firms announced the purchase on May 1 at Ivanchak’s Rock Farm at 6691 Van Buren Road in the town of Camillus. Financial terms of the purchase agreement weren’t disclosed.
Paradise Companies says it’s been a long-term partner of the Syracuse Nationals and Galaxy Media says it’s been a long-term promotional partner of the event. Paradise Galaxy says it will “uphold the traditions and culture of the Syracuse Nationals while continuing to elevate this beloved event,” per the venture’s announcement.
His father’s dream of bringing his car friends together 22 years ago has grown into one of the largest car shows in the country, Rob O’Connor, who owns event promoter Right Coast Inc. and whose father was the founder of the Syracuse Nationals, said.
“A drag racer from the Sixties, his passion for cars and entrepreneurial spirit drove him to start the Syracuse Nationals. He never imagined the event would bring so many people together who share his passion. It was also important for him to give back, and I’m proud to say the Syracuse Nationals has contributed over $1.75 [million] to local charities and is responsible for over $250 [million] in economic impact in Central New York. As the Syracuse Nationals turns the page to a new chapter, I’m excited for the future because Paradise Galaxy holds the same values as my family. I look forward to working with them to continue my father’s legacy for many, many years to come,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor and his wife, Kaylie, will be staying on with Paradise Galaxy as consultants.
The 2023 Napa Syracuse Nationals is set for July 14-16 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes. Paradise Galaxy will release additional information regarding this year’s lineup and ticket information soon.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Syracuse Destiny USA will serve as the host hotel for this year’s edition, per the event’s website.
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